GURPS Basic Set: Characters, 4th Edition

have to possess either trait. Many least one full day before making a you, and you are immune to inhaled
advantages are also possible but not repeated attempt. toxins. You are still affected by contact
automatic: You get +4 (in addition to any poisons, pressure, and vacuum; take
Acute Taste and Smell bonuses) on Sealed (p. 82), Pressure Support
Computing Power: If you operate any task that utilizes the sense of (p. 77), and Vacuum Support (p. 96),
faster than a human mind, buy smell, and receive +4 to Tracking skill. respectively, to resist those threats.
Enhanced Time Sense (p. 52). If you
can add advantages or skills tem-
porarily by running programs, buy
Modular Abilities (p. 71).
Copies: If you can run multiple
copies of your mind on a single com- Destiny is considered an advantage if you
puter system, buy Compartmentalized
Mind (p. 43). If you can create loyal are destined for great things – although this
copies that run on other systems, buy might not always be clear, and might even
Duplication (p. 50) with the Digital
limitation. If you have copies backed be inconvenient at times.
up offline, buy Extra Life (p. 55).
Uploading: If you can actively
“upload” yourself into other comput-
ers, buy Possession (p. 75) with the If you actually become ill when
Digital limitation. If you can do this exposed to the odor of a particular Special Limitations
easily, buy extra bodies as Puppets substance, take the Temporary Gills: You can extract oxygen from
(p. 78). water, allowing you to remain sub-
Disadvantage limitation (p. 115). The merged indefinitely. You suffocate if
Discriminatory Hearing most common effect is Revulsion the water contains no dissolved oxy-
(p. 151), but the GM may choose to
31 allow other temporary disadvantages. gen. You are immune to strangulation
and “the bends.” If you can only sur-
15 points Special Enhancements vive underwater, and suffocate in air
You have a superhuman ability to Emotion Sense: You can detect a as quickly as a normal human would
distinguish between sounds. You can person or animal’s emotional state by drown underwater, Doesn’t Breathe
always identify people by voice, and odor. This functions as the Empathy (Gills) is a 0-point feature; other-
can recognize individual machines by advantage (p. 51), but you must be wise, -50%.
their “sound signature.” You may within 2 yards of the subject. +50%. Oxygen Absorption: As Gills, but
memorize a sound by listening to it for you can absorb oxygen through the
at least one minute and making a suc- Discriminatory Taste surface of your body whether it is in
cessful IQ roll. On a failure, you must 31 the air, a liquid, or another medium.
wait at least one full day before mak- Your body does not absorb poisonous
ing a repeated attempt. 10 points gases, but you will suffocate if there is
You get +4 (in addition to any This talent functions in most ways no oxygen available. You can use
Acute Hearing bonuses) on any task like Discriminatory Smell (above), but breathing equipment in space (your
that utilizes hearing, and receive +4 to enhances the sense of taste instead, so lungs are capable of working normal-
Shadowing skill when following a tracking is not possible. You must ly). You may not have the Sealed
noisy target. ingest a small quantity of the material advantage. -25%.
To simulate the passive sonar used to be examined; for a living subject, Oxygen Combustion: As Oxygen
by submarines, add a -30% Acces - this means bodily fluids. This gives Absorption, but you cannot breathe
sibility limitation, “Only underwater.” you an IQ roll to recognize the taste, underwater or anywhere else fire can-
identify whether a substance is safe to not burn. -50%.
Discriminatory Smell 3 eat, etc. You can perform a detailed Oxygen Storage: You need to
1 “analysis” with a roll against a suitable breathe, but you can go for extended
15 points skill (Chemistry, Cooking, Pharmacy, periods of time without doing so; per-
Poisons . . .). You get +4 (in addition to
haps you store oxygen (like a whale)
Your sense of smell is far beyond any Acute Taste and Smell bonuses) or have superior blood oxygenation.
the human norm, and can register dis- on any task that utilizes the sense of This differs from Breath-Holding in
tinctive odors for practically every- taste. that you are completely immune to
thing you may encounter. This allows “the bends” while your oxygen supply
you to recognize people, places, and Doesn’t Breathe 31 holds out. If you can effectively “hold
things by scent. You may memorize a 20 points your breath” for 25 times as long as
scent by sniffing it for at least one You do not breathe or require oxy- usual, this is -50%; 50 times, -40%; 100
minute and making a successful IQ gen. Choking and strangulation times, -30%; 200 times, -20%; 300
roll. On a failure, you must wait at
attempts cannot harm (or silence!) times, -10%.



ADVANTAGES 49

Doesn’t Eat
or Drink 31
10 points
You do not require food, water, or
fuel. Your body is powered in some
other manner: solar power, ambient
magical energy, etc. A sufficiently rare
energy source might qualify you for
Dependency (p. 130).

Doesn’t Sleep 31
20 points
You do not have to sleep at all. You
can ignore all ill effects from missed
nights of rest.
Dominance 25
20 points
You can “infect” others with a
supernatural condition – vampirism,
lycanthropy, etc. – and exert absolute
control over them. This trait is only
appropriate for supernatural beings
that spread their “curse” through
infection, and only affects members of
susceptible races (typically your origi-
nal race and very similar races). The
GM is the judge of which curses are
spread this way and who is
susceptible.
When you buy Dominance, you
must specify one natural attack –
Claws, Innate Attack, Vampiric Bite,
etc. – that delivers the infection.
Anyone you damage this way must
roll 3d vs. the HP of injury he received
(maximum one roll per day). If he
rolls under the damage amount, he
becomes infected, and will change
into the same kind of creature as you
in 2d days, or at the GM’s discretion, him as an Ally (p. 36) with the and become free-willed. You may use
without suitable supernatural inter- enhancements “Minion” (due to his the points spent on your former Ally to
vention. The GM is free to impose Slave Mentality) and “Special Abilities” dominate new victims.
additional conditions for infection; for (because he can create new servitors See Infectious Attack (p. 140)
instance, the victim might have to suf- for you). You can choose any frequen- for the disadvantageous form of
fer three attacks, or share your blood, cy of appearance, and may improve Dominance.
or even die before making the roll this later on with earned points. If you
above. lack the points to buy your victim as an Double-Jointed
Once the transition is complete, Ally – even at a frequency of “6 or less” see Flexibility, p. 56
the victim acquires your supernatural – he will still be infected but he will not
racial template (Vampire, Werewolf, become your slave. Duplication 2/31
etc.) plus Slave Mentality (p. 154). He Dominance persists until you die 35 points/copy
becomes your subordinate. If he goes (truly die, for undead), or your slave
on to infect others, his victims will grows in power and you cannot (or You can split into two or more bod-
acquire the same traits and serve you choose not to) spend the points to ies (“Dupes”), each possessing your full
as well. keep him as an Ally, or the GM rules knowledge and powers (but not copies
Dominance itself costs 20 points, the curse is broken via supernatural of your equipment, unless you buy a
but to control a new victim, you must means. If any of these things occur, special enhancement). It takes one sec-
have sufficient unspent points to buy your victim will lose Slave Mentality ond and a Concentrate maneuver to
separate or merge. When your Dupes


50 ADVANTAGES

merge, your FP and HP are the average and 15 FP, you could give one copy 3 This talent is excellent for spotting
of all your copies’ FP and HP at that FP and 9 HP and the other 12 FP and impostors, possession, etc., and for
time. Your combined self remembers 6 HP. When your bodies re-combine, determining the true loyalties of
everything experienced by any Dupe. add their FP and HP instead of aver- NPCs. You can also use it to determine
Dupes have no special ability to aging. -40%. whether someone is lying . . . not what
coordinate with one another. For that, the truth is, but just whether they are
buy Telesend (see Telecommunication, Eidetic Memory 2 being truthful with you.
p. 91). If your Telesend works only 5 or 10 points This advantage comes in two levels:
with your Dupes, you may take the You have an exceptionally good
Racial limitation. You may combine memory. Anyone may attempt an IQ Sensitive: Your ability is not entire-
Telesend with a Mindlink (p. 70) with roll to recall the general sense of past ly reliable; the IQ roll is at -3. You get
your Dupes, in which case you are in events – the better the roll, the truer +1 to your Detect Lies and Fortune-
constant telepathic contact – no die the memory, but the details are Telling skills, and to Psychology rolls
rolls required. sketchy. With this talent, you auto- to analyze a subject you can converse
If one of your Dupes dies, all the matically succeed at these “memory with. 5 points.
others immediately take 2d damage rolls,” and you often recall precise Empathy: Your ability works at full
and are stunned. This is mental stun if details. This trait comes in two levels: IQ, and the bonus to Detect Lies,
you define Duplication as a mental Fortune-Telling, and Psychology is +3.
trait, physical stun if you define it as a Eidetic Memory: You automatically 15 points.
physical trait. The IQ or HT roll to remember the general sense of every- This advantage works only on sapi-
recover is at -6. You also lose the thing you concentrate on, and can ent (IQ 6+), natural beings. The equiv-
points you spent for that Dupe. The recall specific details by making an IQ alent talents for animals, plants, and
GM may allow you to buy back a roll. It is possible to “learn” this advan- supernatural entities are Animal
dead Dupe with unspent points. tage in play (bards and skalds often Empathy (p. 40), Plant Empathy
Alternatively, an Extra Life (p. 55) will acquire it to recall poems and songs). (p. 75), and Spirit Empathy (p. 88),
let you bring back any one dead Dupe. 5 points. respectively.
Your point value drops by the price of Photographic Memory: As above,
the Extra Life, but this is cheaper than but you automatically recall specific Enhanced Defenses 2
buying back a Dupe. details, too. Any time you, the player Variable
forget a detail your character has seen
Special Enhancements or heard, the GM or other players must You are unusually adept at evading
Duplicated Gear: Your Dupes remind you – truthfully! 10 points. attacks! This may be due to careful
appear with copies of Signature Gear observation of your foe, focusing chi,
(p. 85) that you are carrying or wear- This trait affects recall, not com- or anything else that fits your back-
ing. Duplicated equipment vanishes prehension, and so does not benefit ground. There are three versions:
when you merge, even if it becomes skills. However, it gives a bonus when- Enhanced Block: You have +1 to
separated from you. Treat your equip- ever the GM requires an IQ roll for your Block score with either Cloak or
ment’s HP, ammunition, energy sup- learning: +5 for Eidetic Memory, +10 Shield skill. You must specialize in
ply, etc. just like your own HP and FP for Photographic Memory. one particular Block defense. 5 points.
when you merge. +100%. Enhanced Dodge: You have +1 to
No Sympathetic Injury: If one of Elastic Skin 31 your Dodge score. 15 points.
your Dupes is killed, the others are not 20 points Enhanced Parry: You have +1 to
stunned or hurt. +20%. You can alter your skin and facial your Parry score. You may take this
Special Limitations features (but not clothing or makeup) advantage for bare hands (5 points),
Digital: Your Dupes are software to duplicate those of another member for any one Melee Weapon skill (5
copies of your mind, not physical of your race or a very similar race. points), or for all parries (10 points). 5
copies of your body. They can possess This takes 10 seconds, and requires a or 10 points.
other computers or occupy spare Disguise roll if you try to duplicate a
Puppets (p. 78). You may only take particular individual. It takes three This talent is definitely cinematic!
this limitation if you have both Digital seconds to return to your original The GM might require Trained By A
Mind (p. 48) and Possession (Digital) form. This ability gives +4 to all Master (p. 93) or Weapon Master
(p. 75). -60%. Disguise rolls. (p. 99) as a prerequisite. He may
Shared Resources: Your Dupes do choose to allow warriors to buy this
not share your full FP and HP; Empathy 2 trait with earned points. He might
instead, you must distribute your FP 5 or 15 points even permit multiple levels of each
and HP among them. For instance, if You have a “feeling” for people. Enhanced Defense, in which case the
you had 15 HP and one Dupe, you When you first meet someone – or are point cost is per +1 bonus. Note that
could split your HP 7 and 8, 2 and 13, reunited after an absence – you may bonuses larger than +3 are almost cer-
or in any other combination that ask the GM to roll against your IQ. He tainly unbalanced, even in “over-the-
totaled 15. You need not distribute FP will tell you what you “feel” about that top” games!
and HP proportionally; with 15 HP person. On a failed IQ roll, he will lie!



ADVANTAGES 51

Enhanced Move 31 (Air) requires Flight (p. 56). Enhanced move once you react. This has several
Move (Space) requires Flight with the game benefits.
20 points/level
Space Flight or Newtonian Space First, Enhanced Time Sense (ETS)
You can really move! Each level of Flight enhancement, and affects includes Combat Reflexes (p. 43), and
Enhanced Move doubles your top movement in space – not airspeed. To provides all the benefits of that advan-
speed in one environment: Air, move faster in air and in space, buy tage. You cannot buy Combat Reflexes
Ground, Space, or Water. You may both Enhanced Move (Air) and if you have ETS; the two advantages
also take a half-level of Enhanced Enhanced Move (Space). are not cumulative.
Move, either alone or with any whole In combat, you automatically act
number of levels; this costs 10 points Special Enhancements before those without ETS, regardless
and multiplies Move by 1.5. Handling Bonus: You get a bonus of Basic Speed. If more than one com-
to DX or vehicle operation skill (e.g.,
Example 1: A super buys Enhanced Driving) for the sole purpose of main- batant has ETS, they act in order of
Move 4 (Ground), for 80 points. He taining control at speeds above your Basic Speed, and they all get to act
multiplies his Move by 2 ¥ 2 ¥ 2 ¥ 2 = Basic Move. +5% per +1, to a before those who lack ETS.
16. If his Basic Move were 8, he could maximum of +5. You can perceive things that hap-
run at 128 yards/second (262 mph). pen too fast for most people to dis-
Example 2: An avian race has Special Limitations cern. For example, you cannot be
Enhanced Move 2.5 (Air), for 50 Handling Penalty: You have a fooled by a projected image, because
points. All members of the race multi- penalty to DX or vehicle operation you can see the individual frames of
ply their top airspeed by 2 ¥ 2 ¥ 1.5 = 6. skill at high speeds. -5% per -1, to a the film. If secret information is being
maximum of -5. sent as a high-speed “burst,” you can
detect it if you’re monitoring the
transmission (you cannot necessarily
decipher it, but you know it’s there). At
the GM’s discretion, you get a Sense
roll to spot objects moving so fast that
Extra Attack: The “default” assumption in they are effectively invisible; for
GURPS is that you can make one attack per instance, bullets in flight. ETS is
extremely valuable if you possess mag-
turn, no matter how many limbs you have. ical or psionic defenses that work at
the speed of thought.
If you have ETS, your rapid
thought processes always allow you to
ponder a problem thoroughly and
respond in the manner you think best.
Your multiplied Move is your top Newtonian: This is a limitation for You never suffer skill penalties for
speed. Record it in parentheses after Enhanced Move (Space). Your space being mentally “rushed” – although
your Enhanced Move trait; for “top speed” is actually your “delta-v”: you still need the usual amount of
instance, the super in the example the total velocity change you can man- time to complete a physical task, and
above would write “Enhanced Move 4 age before running out of reaction suffer the usual penalties for hasty
(Ground Speed 128).” You can always mass. Once you have made velocity work. The GM can almost never tell
choose to accept a slightly lower top changes equal to your top speed, you you to make up your mind right now.
speed if you want your speed to match must refuel before you can change (But don’t abuse this privilege by tak-
that of a real-world or fictional crea- velocity again. -50%. ing half an hour to decide what to do
ture or vehicle with a known top Road-Bound: This is a limitation in each turn in combat!)
speed. This does not give you back any for Enhanced Move (Ground). Your The exception is when something
points. Enhanced Move is effective only on a happens so fast that most people can’t
Enhanced Move does not affect smooth, flat surface, such as a road or perceive it at all. In that case, the GM
Basic Speed, Basic Move, or Dodge. building floor. This is often taken in is justified in asking you for an imme-
Its benefits apply only when moving conjunction with the Wheeled diate response, since those without
along a relatively straight, smooth disadvantage (p. 145). -50%. ETS get no response.
course (see Sprinting, p. 354). It does ETS does not “slow down” the
have some defensive value, however: Enhanced Time world from your viewpoint. You can
those who attack you with ranged Sense 21 still enjoy a movie by simply ignoring
attacks must take your speed into the frames, much as a literate person
account when calculating speed/range 45 points can choose whether or not to notice
modifiers (see p. 550). You can receive and process infor- the individual letters in the words he’s
Most forms of Enhanced Move mation dramatically faster than the reading. ETS also does not let you vio-
have prerequisites. Enhanced Move human norm. This improves your late the laws of physics. Some things
(Water) requires Amphibious (p. 40) mental speed – notably your reaction (e.g., laser beams) simply travel too
or Aquatic (p. 145). Enhanced Move time – but not how fast you physically fast for you to react.



52 ADVANTAGES

Enhanced Tracking 31 use a shield and one-handed weapon swung. Subtract one yard from the
at the same time. reach of any melee weapon wielded by
5 points/level
No matter how many arms you that limb. If all of your arms are short,
You can “track” more than one tar- have, though, you do not get addition- you are at -2 on any attempt to grap-
get – whether with a built-in sensor al attacks (or other extra maneuvers) ple. -50%.
array or eyes that can swivel inde- in combat unless you buy Extra Weak: The arm has less than your
pendently, like those of a chameleon. Attacks (see below). full body ST for lifting, striking, and
An Aim (p. 364) or Evaluate (p. 364) grappling. -25% if the arm has half
maneuver normally applies to a single Close Combat With your body ST, or -50% if it has
target. Each level of Enhanced Extra Arms 1/4 your body ST (round down in
Tracking allows your maneuver to Extra arms give a huge advantage both cases).
apply to one additional target. You can in close combat. You cannot punch Weapon Mount: Instead of an arm,
only track targets that you can detect, with more than one arm at a time you have a “hardpoint” where you can
and you cannot Aim at more targets unless you have Extra Attack, but you mount a weapon. This may be biolog-
than you have ready weapons to Aim may grapple with all of your arms at ical, mechanical, or a hybrid of the
with. once. Each extra arm of regular length two, depending on whether you are a
or longer, over and above the generic
Extended Lifespan 31 set of two, gives +2 to any attempt to living being, a machine, or a cyborg.
You cannot use this mount for any
2 points/level grapple or break free from a grapple. purpose other than bearing a weapon.
Having more arms than your oppo-
An average life cycle is defined as This limitation is incompatible with
maturity at age 18, with aging effects nent also gives +3 on any attempt to Feet Manipulator, No Physical Attack,
(see p. 444) starting at age 50 and pin or resist a pin. Short, and Weak. -80%.
accelerating at ages 70 and 90. Each Special Enhancements Modifying Beings With
level of Extended Lifespan doubles all Extra-Flexible: Limbs with this
these values. Note that if you need to enhancement are more flexible than One or Two Arms
take more than seven levels of this human arms, like tentacles or an ele- Beings with one or two arms can
trait (giving maturity at age 2,304 and phant’s trunk. These limbs can always use the special modifiers above. Point
the onset of aging at age 6,400), it is reach and work with other limbs, cost is equal to 1/10 the percentile
more efficient to take Unaging (p. 95). regardless of body positioning, gener- modifier per affected arm. Thus,
al layout, or “right” and “left.” +50%. enhancements become advantages
Extra Arms 31 Long: Your arm is longer in propor- and limitations become disadvan-
Variable tion to your body than a human arm tages. For instance, Short is -50%, so it
is worth -5 points per arm. Someone
In GURPS, a limb with which you relative to the human body. This with two short arms would have a -10-
can manipulate objects is an arm, increases your effective SM for the point disadvantage.
regardless of where it grows or what it purpose of calculating reach with that Those with one arm can only apply
looks like. A normal arm can strike a arm (see Size Modifier and Reach, these modifiers once, but also get
blow that inflicts thrust-1 crushing p. 402). This does affect the reach of the -20 points for One Arm (p. 147).
damage based on ST. The human melee weapons wielded in that hand. For instance, an elephant’s trunk
norm is two arms for 0 points. Extra Each +1 to SM also adds +1 per die to would be Extra-Flexible (+50%), Long
arms have a base cost of 10 points swinging damage. +100% per +1 to (+100%), and Weak (-50%). These
apiece. SM. modifiers total +100%, for a 10-point
Coordination Special Limitations advantage. The -20 points for One
You can use extra arms freely for Foot Manipulators: Your “arm” is Arm would make the net cost
multiple noncombat tasks. For really an unusually dextrous leg. You -10 points.
instance, with three arms, you could cannot walk while you are manipulat-
perform a one-handed task (e.g., use a ing objects with it (although you can Extra Attack 3
computer mouse) and a two-handed sit, float, or fly). This is a Temporary 25 points/attack
task (e.g., type) simultaneously. You Disadvantage limitation, the disadvan- You can attack more than once per
need Enhanced Tracking (p. 53) to tage being Legless (p. 141). This kind turn. The “default” assumption in
perform tasks that require attention to of arm is usually – but not always – GURPS is that you can make one
events in more than one place at a Short (see below). -30%. attack per turn, no matter how many
time, however. No Physical Attack: The limb can limbs you have. Each Extra Attack
You can also use all of your arms in manipulate but cannot punch or wield allows one additional attack per turn.
concert for a single combat maneuver melee weapons, and gives no bonus in You may not have more attacks than
where extra arms would be helpful; close combat. It can still wield a you have limbs (arms, legs, etc.), natu-
e.g., grappling in close combat. And if firearm or similar ranged weapon. ral weapons (Strikers, Teeth, etc.), and
you have at least three arms, you can -50%. attack powers (Afflictions, Bindings,
use a shield normally with one arm Short: The arm has reach “C” (close and Innate Attacks) with which to
and still wield a two-handed weapon, combat only), and lacks the leverage attack. The GM’s word on what
just as a normal human fighter can to use any weapon that must be constitutes an “attack” is final.



ADVANTAGES 53

A normal human can purchase one
Extra Attack. This lets him attack with
both hands at once, and represents
unusually good coordination. Supers
and nonhumans have no such limita-
tion. A super-powered cop could buy
two Extra Attacks, enabling him to
shoot rays from his eyes, fire his pis-
tol, and swing his nightstick all at
once. A dragon might take four Extra
Attacks and attack five times with any
combination of his four clawed limbs,
teeth, horns, tail, and fiery breath!
Extra Attack is exactly that: an
extra Attack maneuver on your turn in
combat. It does not eliminate the -4
penalty for an “off” hand (see
Ambidexterity, p. 39) or let you take
multiple Aim maneuvers (see
Enhanced Tracking, p. 53). You may
use some of your attacks for Feint
maneuvers, but you many not take
multiple actions of other kinds – that
requires Altered Time Rate (p. 38).
Extra Attacks and
All-Out Attack
When an individual with Extra
Attacks makes an All-Out Attack, he
must select one type of bonus for all
his attacks that turn. He could not, for
instance, take All-Out Attack
(Determined) with one attack and All-
Out Attack (Strong) with another. If he
chooses All-Out Attack (Double) to
increase his number of attacks, he gets
one additional attack.
Extra Attacks and
Rapid Strike
You may use one of your melee
attacks to make a Rapid Strike (see
p. 370) on your turn, at the usual
penalty. Your remaining attacks are in additional mental actions – for that, backup brain. A single blow to an
addition to this Rapid Strike, and take Compartmentalized Mind (p. 43). Extraneous head can do no more than
receive no penalty. You may not use You cannot suffer more than 2 ¥ HP/(1.5 ¥ number of heads) points of
Rapid Strike with two or more attacks (your HP/number of heads) points of injury, but blows to your real head can
in one turn.
injury from any single attack to your cause stun, knockout, or death even if
Extra Head 31 head or neck. Any head blow that your other heads are unharmed. -20%.
causes unconsciousness only knocks
15 points/head out that one head; the others continue Extra Legs 31
You have more than one head, to function! A critical head blow that Variable
each with fully functional ears, eyes, would normally kill you simply If you can walk on a limb but can-
mouth, etc. Each Extra Head gives destroys that head, inflicting the max- not use it to manipulate objects, it is a
you one Extra Mouth (p. 55) and one imum injury noted above and crush- leg in GURPS (for legs that double as
level of Enhanced Tracking (p. 53) at ing, severing, or exploding the head arms, see Extra Arms, p. 53). A normal
no extra charge. Each head also con- (GM’s option). leg can kick for thrust/crushing dam-
tains an extra brain with a complete Special Limitations age at your usual reach (1 yard for a
copy of your memories, personality, human). The human norm is two legs,
and skills. These extra brains are Extraneous: Your Extra Head which costs 0 points. It costs points to
“backups,” however, and do not grant grants Extra Mouth and Enhanced
Tracking, but does not contain a have more than two legs:



54 ADVANTAGES

Three or four legs: If you lose a leg, statistics, losing any traits or character have your Favor coming. You may try
you can continue to move at half points acquired since then. Note that a again on a later adventure.
Move (round down). Loss of a second copy exists before you die. You must On a success, you get what you
leg causes you to fall. 5 points. tell the GM where you store it. You want (subject to the limits of the
Five or six legs: Each leg lost will return to life at that location . .. advantage). But this discharges the
reduces Move by 20% until only three and if your enemies discover where obligation: remove the Favor from
legs are left. At that point, your Move you store your copy, they may tamper your character sheet and reduce your
is 40% normal. Loss of another leg with it! -20%. point total appropriately. However, if
causes you to fall. 10 points. Requires Body: You come back in the roll is a 3 or 4, your “friend” still
Seven or more legs: Each leg lost disembodied state – for instance, as a feels indebted to you, and you retain
reduces Move by 10% until only three spirit or a digital copy on a computer. the Favor . . . at least until next time.
legs are left. At that point, your Move All your experiences and abilities are You may buy a Favor in play, just
is 40% normal. Loss of another leg intact (unless you took Copy), but you like any trait of this kind. The GM may
causes you to fall. 15 points. cannot interact with the physical also wish to include a Favor as part of
world at all until you acquire a new the reward for a successful adventure.
You can apply the following modi- body. This might be a clone, an
fiers to all your legs:
undead corpse, or even a robot Fearlessness 2
Special Enhancements “shell.” -20%, or -40% if the required 2 points/level
Long: Your legs are longer in pro- body is illegal, rare, or expensive You are difficult to frighten or
portion to your body than human legs (GM’s decision). intimidate! Add your level of
relative to the human body. This Fearlessness to your Will whenever
increases your effective SM for the Extra Mouth 31 you make a Fright Check or must
purpose of calculating reach when 5 points/mouth resist the Intimidation skill (p. 202) or
kicking (see Size Modifier and Reach, You have more than one functional a supernatural power that induces
p. 402) and when clambering over mouth, which can be anywhere on fear. You also subtract your
obstacles. +100% per +1 to SM. your body. All of your mouths are Fearlessness level from all Intim -
Special Limitations capable of breathing, eating, and idation rolls made against you.
Cannot Kick: You cannot use your speaking. An Extra Mouth lets you
legs to kick for damage. -50%. bite more than once if you have Filter Lungs 31
Extra Attacks (p. 53). If you have 5 points
Modifying Beings Compartmentalized Mind (p. 43), you
With Two Legs can carry on multiple conversations, Your respiratory system can filter
The modifiers above can be applied or cast two spells that require spoken out ordinary contaminants; e.g.,
to creatures with only two legs. Point words. Other benefits include being dust, pollen, smoke, and even tear
cost is equal to 1/10 the percentile hard to silence or suffocate, and being gas (but not nerve gas or other con-
modifier. For instance, a human with able to sing in harmony with yourself! tact agents). You suffer no ill effects
Cannot Kick (-50%) would have a -5- from such things. This is especially
point disadvantage. Fashion Sense useful in polluted cities and on alien
worlds. Note that if you have Doesn’t
Extra Life 21 see p. 21 Breathe (p. 49), you do not need this
advantage!
25 points/life Favor 4
You can come back from the dead! Fit 3
No matter how sure your foes were Variable
that they killed you, you didn’t really You saved someone’s life, kept 5 or 15 points
die. Work out the details with the GM. silent at the right time, or otherwise You have better cardiovascular
Every time you come back from the did someone a good turn. Now he health than your HT alone would indi-
dead, you use up one Extra Life – owes you one. cate. This comes in two levels:
remove it from your character sheet A Favor is a one-shot Ally, Contact, Fit: You get +1 to all HT rolls (to
and reduce your point total by 25 Contact Group, or Patron. Work out stay conscious, avoid death, resist dis-
points. The GM may wish to let play- the point cost of the parent advantage, ease or poison, etc.). This does not
ers spend earned points to buy Extra and then divide it by 5 (round up) to improve your HT attribute or HT-
Lives in play. get the cost of the Favor. The catch is based skills! You also recover FP at
that the NPC(s) in question will help
Special Limitations you out once . .. and only once. twice the normal rate. 5 points.
Copy: When you die, you revert to a When you wish to “collect” on Very Fit: As above, but the bonus to
“backup copy.” To create this copy your Favor, the GM rolls against the HT rolls is +2. In addition, you lose FP
takes minutes or hours, possibly at a frequency of appearance of the under- at only half the normal rate. 15 points.
special facility. Details are up to the lying advantage. On a failure, you In both cases, this advantage
GM. Make a copy of your character couldn’t reach your “friend” in time, applies only to FP lost to exertion,
sheet whenever you update your back- or he couldn’t comply, but you still heat, etc. It has no effect on FP spent
up. If you die, you revert to those
to power psi or magic spells.


ADVANTAGES 55

Flexibility 3 Move – or your space top speed, if you level of Enhanced Move (Air) either
have Enhanced Move (Space) – is doubles top speed or halves decelera-
5 or 15 points
actually your “delta-v”: the total veloc- tion in level flight (e.g., one level
Your body is unusually flexible. ity change you can manage in space means you only lose 0.5 yard/second
This advantage comes in two levels:
before running out of reaction mass. in level flight); specify which when
Flexibility: You get +3 on Climbing For instance, you could accelerate up you buy it. -50%.
rolls; on Escape rolls to get free of to your delta-v and stay there (like a Lighter Than Air: You fly by becom-
ropes, handcuffs, and similar missile), or to half your delta-v and ing lighter than air (or gaseous). A
restraints; on Erotic Art skill; and on then decelerate to a stop at the end of wind moves you 1 yard/second, in the
all attempts to break free in close com- your trip (like a conventional space- direction it is blowing, per 5 mph of
bat (see p. 391). You may ignore up craft). Once you have made velocity wind speed. If the wind happens to be
to -3 in penalties for working in close changes equal to your delta-v, you blowing in the direction you wish to
quarters (including many Explosives must refuel before you can change travel, this adds to your Move; other-
and Mechanic rolls). 5 points. your velocity in space again. +25%. wise, your Move goes down as you
Double-Jointed: As above, but Space Flight: You can fly in space or fight against the breeze. -10%.
more so. You cannot stretch or a vacuum (such as on the moon). Your Low Ceiling: You cannot fly very
squeeze yourself abnormally, but any space Move is Basic Speed ¥ 2. If you high. This does not limit speed in any
part of your body may bend any way. want to be able to accelerate constant- way, but the GM may require
You get +5 on Climbing, Erotic Art, ly to reach a higher top speed, like a Aerobatics rolls to dodge obstacles
and Escape rolls, and on attempts to rocket, buy Enhanced Move (Space) near the ground. A 30-foot ceiling
break free. You may ignore up to -5 in (p. 52). This will let you accelerate or is -10%; a 10-foot ceiling is -20%; and
penalties for close quarters. 15 points. decelerate each turn by an amount a 5-foot ceiling is -25%.
equal to your space Move, up to your Small Wings: As Winged (below),
Flight 31 enhanced top speed. For a “realistic” except that your wingspan is no more
40 points space move that lets you accelerate than half your height. You use your
indefinitely in a vacuum (up to the wings to steer and to stabilize your
You can fly. The “default” is full-
fledged, self-powered flight without speed of light), you’ll want Enhanced flight – not to lift. If your wings are
wings or gliding surfaces. This works Move 25-27 (Space). This is incompat- crippled in flight, roll against
at any altitude where there is still sig- ible with all other special modifiers Aerobatics skill (or default) to land
nificant atmosphere – but in the upper except Space Flight Only. +50%. safely. -10%.
atmosphere, you’ll need a way to sur- Special Limitations Space Flight Only: You can only
vive in very thin, cold air (e.g., Doesn’t Cannot Hover: You must always take this in conjunction with Space
Breathe and Temperature Tolerance). move at least 1/4 your top airspeed Flight or Newtonian Space Flight. You
You cannot fly in a trace atmosphere (round up) when flying. This is incom- can fly only in space; you have air
or vacuum. patible with Controlled Gliding and Move 0 in atmosphere. You require a
Your flight Move is Basic Speed ¥ 2 Gliding. -15%. boost to reach space from any planet
(drop all fractions). As explained in Controlled Gliding: Like Gliding with an atmosphere, and are inca-
Move in Other Environments (p. 18), (below) in most respects, but you can pable of atmospheric reentry. -75%.
you can adjust this for ±2 points per gain altitude by riding updrafts or Winged: You use large wings or
±1 yard/second. For very high speeds, “thermals.” A typical ascent rate is one skin flaps to fly. Wingspan is at least
take Enhanced Move (Air). If you do yard per second. You can locate ther- twice your height. In order to take off,
not have any of the Controlled mals, if any are present, on a success- land, or maneuver, you must have an
Gliding, Gliding, Lighter Than Air, ful IQ or Meteorology roll (one open area with a radius equal to your
Small Wings, Space Flight Only, or attempt per minute). -45%. wingspan in all directions. If your
Winged Flight limitations, you can Gliding: You cannot gain altitude. wings are bound, or if a wing is crip-
also “fly” at half-speed underwater. With a running leap, you can launch pled (more than 1/3 of your wings, if
Flight includes the ability to hover at yourself with an air Move equal to you have more than two), you cannot
Move 0 as well. Basic Move. Each turn, you can fly. Treat wings as arms for the pur-
Flight does not confer the ability to change velocity by up to 10 yards/sec- pose of targeting and crippling. If you
do complex acrobatics and tight turns; ond ¥ local gravity in Gs (Earth’s grav- wish to strike blows or manipulate
for that, buy Aerobatics skill ity is 1G). To accelerate, you must objects with your wings, you must pay
(p. 174). Flight skill (p. 195) improves descend by 1 yard for each 1 yard/sec- for them as Strikers or Extra Arms in
endurance. ond added to velocity; top speed is addition to the cost of Flight. -25%.
Basic Move ¥ 4 (but you can go faster
You can alter most of the above if towed). To decelerate, you must fly Gadgeteer 2
assumptions through special modi- level. If you do not descend at least 1 25 or 50 points
fiers.
yard, you automatically decelerate by You are a natural inventor. You
Special Enhancements 1 yard/second that turn. When work- can modify existing equipment and –
Newtonian Space Flight: As Space ing out turning radius, your basic air given sufficient time and money –
Flight (below), except that your space Move is 10 ¥ local gravity in Gs. Each invent entirely new gadgets as
described under Gadgeteering (p. 475).


56 ADVANTAGES

This trait costs 1 point per gravity
field with which you have experience.
For instance, an Earth native who
works on the moon might have
G-Experience (0.16G). To enjoy the
benefits of G-Experience in all gravity
fields, buy G-Experience (All) for 10
points.

Gifted Artist
see Talent, p. 89
Gizmos 2
5 points/gizmo
You always seem to have just the
piece of gear you need. Once per game
session per level of this advantage, you
may pull out one small item of equip-
ment that you could have been carry-
ing. This “Gizmo” remains undefined
until you reveal it. It does not even
“enter play” until you take it out; thus,
it cannot be damaged, lost, stolen, or
found in a search.
A Gizmo must be small enough to
fit in an ordinary coat pocket, and
must meet one of three criteria:
1. An item you own but did not
specifically state you were carrying.
For instance, if you own a handgun,
and get ambushed while driving to
church, you could pull out your pistol
– even if the police searched your vehi-
cle five minutes ago and found no
weapons!
2. An item that you probably own,
and that is in keeping with your char-
acter concept, but that is minor or
ignorable enough to leave unspecified.
For instance, a policeman might hap-
pen to be carrying a spare handcuff
key, while a wizard might have some
eye of newt. The GM has the final say,
This lets you design gadgets quickly, G-Experience 2
and makes it easy to realize higher-TL 1 to 10 points but should be lenient if the item you
innovations. This advantage comes in wish to have is consistent with your
two levels: You have experience working in character story.
one or more gravitational fields other 3. An inexpensive device widely
Gadgeteer: You are a “cinematic” than your native one, and your reflex- available at your tech level. For
gadgeteer, but your work still takes es adapt quickly to the way objects instance, if you need to light the fuse
days or months, and requires a good move and fall in those fields. You suf- on some dynamite, you could pull out
deal of money and expensive equip- fer only half the usual DX penalty for a box of matches – and they would
ment. 25 points. different gravity (see Different Gravity, work, even if you just took an involun-
Quick Gadgeteer: You can throw p. 350). In situations where low gravi- tary swim in the creek.
together wondrous gadgets in minutes ty would make a task easier, you roll at
or hours, and can get by with full DX, plus the bonus for low gravi- Each Gizmo you can use per game
scrounged-together spare parts that ty, plus an extra +1. For instance, if a session (maximum of three) costs 5
cost a few percent of what a “realistic” normal person would get +2 to catch a points. Note that this ability is not
inventor would have to spend. This ball in low gravity, you would get +3. realistic! The GM may wish to limit it
level is definitely unsuitable for further, or forbid it, in a realistic
realistic campaigns! 50 points. campaign.


ADVANTAGES 57

penalties the GM assesses for jump-
ing, acrobatics, and similar stunts on
With Gizmos, you may pull out one small item
foot – leaping between rooftops, div-
that you could have reasonably been carrying. ing through windows, etc. Also ignore
Move and Attack penalties when driv-
ing and shooting (p. B470). All this is
instead of adding Acc.
Gadgeteers and Gizmos with the Size limitation (see Strength, • Ignore the -2 for pop-up attacks
Those with the Gadgeteer advan- p. 14). Use your maximum SM to (p. B390).
tage (p. 56) have more latitude. In determine the limitation value. At • Ignore Bulk in close combat
addition to the usual items available, a intermediate SMs, find your height as (p. B391) – again, instead of adding Acc.
Gadgeteer may specify that his Gizmo a fraction of your maximum height. • Use weapon skill to hit while
is one of his inventions (which must This is the fraction of your extra ST mounted (p. B397), not the lower of it
still be small). Instead of pulling an available to you at that SM (round or Riding.
existing gadget “out of his pocket,” a down). • Halve the default penalty and
Gadgeteer can use his Gizmo to let Example: A 6’-tall character (SM 0) round in your favor for any technique
him build what he needs on the spot. has Growth 4. He can grow to SM +4, that allows faster shooting. Buy such
He must still possess or find the giving him a maximum height of 10 techniques up from their improved
appropriate materials, and know any yards. He must buy ST 50 to support defaults.
required skills. The GM should roll himself. If he has ST 15 and gains +35 • Halve the sum of all Fast-Draw
secretly against the relevant skill, at -2 ST only at full height, he may buy his (Ammo) penalties and round in your
or worse. A failed roll means the +35 ST with a -40% Size limitation. At favor.
device doesn’t work (this still “uses up” SM +1, he will be 3 yards tall. This is
the Gizmo). A critical failure means 30% of his final height, so he will have You may also buy any cinematic or
the device backfires spectacularly! exotic advantage, perk, skill, or tech-
30% of +35 ST, or +10 ST, for ST 25. nique the GM feels could logically
Green Thumb Similarly, he’ll be 5 yards tall with ST work with a firearm. Ignore the Hyp-
32 at SM +2, 7 yards tall with ST 39 at
see Talent, p. 89 SM +3, and 10 yards tall with ST 50 at notism and Power Blow prerequisites
SM +4. for Invisibility Art and Flying Leap,
respectively.
Growth 31 Special Modifiers None of these benefits apply
10 points/level Maximum Size Only: You can only when using muscle-powered missile
assume normal or maximum size. weapons, but the GM may introduce
You can grow – really grow! As your Instead of growing at +1 SM per sec- a low-tech version of this ability that
size increases, so must your ST (or ond, you grow to your maximum SM works with Blowpipe, Bow, Cross-
you would collapse under your own – or revert back to your usual SM – in bow, Sling, etc.
weight). Your equipment doesn’t one second. The limitation of no inter- Gunslinger is cinematic. The GM
change size! mediate SMs (restricting your use of may wish to forbid it in realistic cam-
Each level of Growth lets you this ability in close quarters) cancels paigns.
increase your Size Modifier by +1. out the enhancement of rapid growth
Find your final height from the Size (a useful benefit in combat). +0%.
Modifier Table (p. 19). Increases in SM Hard to Kill 3
affect your arm and leg length when Gunslinger 2 2 points/level
calculating reach and determining 25 points
whether you can negotiate obstacles; You are incredibly difficult to kill.
see Size Modifier and Reach (p. 402). It You have uncanny talent with Each level of Hard to Kill gives +1 to
takes one second to modify your SM firearms. When using any weapon HT rolls made for survival at -HP or
by +1 (or by -1 as you return to normal that uses Beam Weapons, Gunner, below, and on any HT roll where fail-
size). Guns, or Liquid Projector skill, you ure means instant death (due to heart
If you attempt to grow in a room, enjoy these benefits: failure, poison, etc.). If this bonus
vehicle, container, etc. that isn’t large • When firing single shots (RoF 1- makes the difference between success
enough to hold you, your growth nor- 3) from a one-handed gun, add your and failure, you collapse, apparently
mally stops. However, if maximum weapon’s Accuracy bonus without the dead (or disabled), but come to in the
thrust damage for your current ST is need for an Aim maneuver. When usual amount of time – see Recovering
greater than the wall or ceiling’s DR, using a two-handed weapon or auto- from Unconsciousness (p. 423). A suc-
you burst through it. This takes one matic fire, add half Accuracy (round cessful Diagnosis roll (or a Mechanic
second per point of DR. up) without the need to Aim. If you do roll, for machines) reveals the truth.
You must buy the ST necessary to Aim, you always get full Acc, and brac- Example: Bruno has HT 12, 15 HP,
support your form separately. This is 5 ing, scopes, and additional seconds of and Hard to Kill 4. He takes 45 points
¥ final height in yards. If your ST Aim provide the usual benefits. of damage, which reduces him to -30
increases with height and is only avail- • Ignore the basic Move and Attack HP. He must make two HT rolls to
able when you grow, you may buy it penalty (-2 or Bulk) and any extra survive: one at -15 HP, one at -30 HP.


58 ADVANTAGES

He rolls an 11 for the first one, but on If used more than once per day on require a delicate touch. This includes
the second roll, he gets a 14. This is a given subject, apply a cumulative -3 all DX-based rolls against Artist,
above his HT (12), but below his mod- per successful healing of the same type Jeweler, Knot-Tying, Leatherworking,
ified HT (12 + 4 = 16). He passes out, (injury or disease) on that subject. Lockpicking, Pickpocket, Sewing,
and his foes leave him for dead. This penalty accumulates until a full Sleight of Hand, and Surgery, as well
Roughly a day later, he’ll regain con- day has passed since the most recent as DX-based rolls to do fine work with
sciousness – injured, but not dead! healing. Machinist or Mechanic (e.g., on clock-
Healing works on your own race work). This bonus doesn’t apply to IQ-
In a realistic campaign, the GM and on all “similar” races. In a fantasy based tasks or large-scale DX-based
may wish to limit characters to Hard campaign, for instance, all warm- tasks, nor does it apply to combat-
to Kill 1 or 2.
blooded humanoid races (elves, related die rolls of any kind.
Hard to Subdue 3 dwarves, orcs, halflings, etc.) would be High Pain Threshold 3
“similar.”
2 points/level 10 points
You are hard to knock out. Each Special Enhancements You are as susceptible to injury as
level of Hard to Subdue gives +1 to Faith Healing: Your power works anyone else, but you don’t feel it as
any HT roll to avoid unconsciousness by channeling spiritual energy. This much. You never suffer a shock
– whether as a result of injury, drugs, lets you cure anyone the spirits or gods penalty when you are injured. In
or ultra-tech weapons – and to resist deem worthy of healing, regardless of addition, you get +3 on all HT rolls to
supernatural abilities that cause race. However, you (and possibly your avoid knockdown and stunning –
unconsciousness. In a realistic cam- subject) must behave in a manner and if you are tortured physically,
paign, the GM may wish to limit consistent with the interests and you get +3 to resist. The GM may let
characters to Hard to Subdue 1 or 2. moral codes of your supernatural
allies, or this ability will not work. You you roll at Will+3 to ignore pain in
Healer may not combine Faith Healing with other situations.
High Pain Threshold is included in
see Talent, p. 89 Own Race Only or Xenohealing.
+20%. Supernatural Durability (p. 89); if you
Xenohealing: You can heal beings have the latter advantage, you cannot
Healing 21 quite dissimilar from yourself. take this one.
30 points Examples, assuming you are human:
You have the ability to heal others. All Mammals, +20%; All Earthly Life, High TL
You must be in physical contact with +40%; All Carbon-Based Life, +60%; see p. 23
the subject. To activate your power, Anything Alive, +80%; Anything
concentrate for one second and make Animate (including undead, golems, Higher Purpose 25
an IQ roll. Roll at -2 if the subject is etc.), +100%. 5 points
unconscious. Special Limitations You are driven to exceed your nor-
You can use Healing in two ways:
Disease Only: You can only cure mal limits in one specific pursuit. You
Heal Injuries: On a success, you can disease. -40%. must state this exactly as if it were a
heal any number of HP. This costs you Injuries Only: You can only heal Code of Honor disadvantage (p. 127):
1 FP per 2 HP healed (round up). injuries. -20%. “Defend all women,” “Slay all
Failure costs 1d FP, but you can try Own Race Only: This is only avail- demons,” etc. If, in the GM’s judg-
again; critical failure also causes the able in campaigns with multiple sapi- ment, you are unfaltering in your pur-
recipient 1d damage. Even 1 HP of ent races. -20%. suit of your Higher Purpose, you get
healing will stop bleeding. By rolling Psychic Healing: Your ability is part +1 to all die rolls that pertain directly
at -6, you can repair a crippled but of the Psychic Healing psi power (see to the pursuit of your cause. If you
whole limb if you completely heal the p. 256). -10%. deviate from your Higher Purpose,
HP lost to the crippling injury. For you lose this bonus . . . and the GM is
instance, to heal a hand crippled by 4 Hermaphromorph 31 free to penalize you for bad roleplay-
points of damage, make an IQ-6 roll 5 points ing just as if you had ignored a Code of
and spend 2 FP. Each healer gets only You can switch among fully func- Honor.
one attempt per crippled limb. tional neuter, male, and female A Higher Purpose must be specific.
Healing cannot restore lost limbs or forms. The process takes 10 seconds Higher Purposes such as “Fight evil”
bring back the dead. (Preparation Required, Takes Extra or “Oppose authority figures” are too
Cure Disease: This requires an IQ Time, and Takes Recharge are com- broad to be balanced. In addition, a
roll at a modifier determined by the mon limitations). Higher Purpose must entail genuine
GM – from +1 for the common cold risk and inconvenience. The GM
to -15 for AIDS. The FP cost is equal to High Manual Dexterity 3 should not allow pragmatic Higher
twice the penalty, minimum 1 FP. For 5 points/level Purposes like “Faithfully serve my
instance, it would cost 6 FP to cure a You have remarkably fine motor superiors.” All Higher Purposes are
disease that calls for an IQ-3 roll. subject to GM approval.
skills. Each level (to a maximum of
four) gives +1 to DX for tasks that


ADVANTAGES 59

Hyperspectral Vision 3 question. Finally, you can perceive +2 on all Vision rolls to spot such tar-
1 and communicate with supernatural gets, since their heat stands out from
the background. You can follow a heat
beings who are tied to Illuminated
25 points conspiracies in your game world trail when tracking: add +3 to
Your vision extends across the (GM’s decision). This gives you no spe- Tracking rolls if the trail is no more
infrared, visible, and ultraviolet por- cial ability to control them, but they than an hour old.
tions of the spectrum. This integrated recognize you and treat you with a Infravision does not let you distin-
picture often reveals details that are certain respect: +3 on reaction rolls. guish colors, and only allows you to
invisible to those who merely possess The only drawback is that other judge the general size and shape of
normal vision, Infravision (p. 60), or Illuminati and spiritual beings are heat-emitting objects, including living
Ultravision (p. 94). able to perceive your Illuminated beings (for instance, you might have
Hyperspectral Vision grants near- nature, and there’s nothing you can do trouble telling two people of the same
perfect night vision: you suffer no about it except stay out of sight. size apart). Roll at -4 to distinguish
vision or combat penalties if there is This advantage is best suited to objects of similar size and shape. The
any light at all. In total darkness, it mystical or fantastic campaigns. It is GM may also require a Vision-4 roll to
functions exactly like Infravision. This rarely appropriate in “mundane” con- read by reflected heat. Sudden flashes
trait also gives +3 on all Vision rolls; spiracy campaigns. The GM is the final of heat (e.g., a flare, fiery explosion, or
on all rolls to spot hidden clues or judge of who may possess this trait. infrared laser) can blind you, just as a
objects with Forensics, Observation, flash of light can blind ordinary vision.
or Search skill; and on all Tracking Improved G-Tolerance 3 Cost depends on your capabilities:
rolls. 5 to 25 points
If you possess Hyperspectral You can function under a wide You can only see using Infravision,
Vision, you cannot also have Infravi- range of gravities. For a normal and are subject to its limitations at all
sion or Ultravision. This trait is essen- human, the penalties for non-native times: 0 points.
tially a higher level of both those gravity accrue in increments of 0.2G; You can switch freely between nor-
advantages. Its game effects replace see Different Gravity (p. 350). A larger mal vision and Infravision: 10 points.
the specific effects of those traits. increment costs points: 5 points for Injury Tolerance 31
As described, this trait emulates 0.3G, 10 points for 0.5G, 15 points
realistic TL7+ sensors. The GM may for 1G, 20 points for 5G, and 25 points Variable
permit supers to take the two special for 10G. Normal humans are limited You have fewer physiological
enhancements below. Neither is to 10 points in this trait. weaknesses than ordinary living
appropriate for real-world sensors! beings. The cost of this advantage
Special Enhancements Independent Income depends on the precise frailties elimi-
nated. Note that some forms of Injury
Extended Low-Band: You perceive see p. 26 Tolerance include others, and that
radiation below the infrared, allowing Diffuse, Homogenous, and Unliving
you to “see” microwave, radar, and Indomitable 2 are mutually incompatible.
radio sources. This gives no special 15 points
ability to understand radio signals! You are impossible to influence Diffuse: Your body is fluid or par-
+30%. through ordinary words or actions. ticulate, composed of a swarm of
Extended High-Band: You sense Those who wish to use Influence skills smaller entities, or perhaps made of
radiation above the ultraviolet, allow- on you (see Influence Rolls, p. 359) pure energy. This makes you immune
ing you to “see” X-ray and gamma ray must possess a suitable advantage: to crippling injuries and reduces the
sources. +30%.
Empathy (p. 51) if you are a human or damage you suffer from most physical
Illuminated 25 similar being, Animal Empathy (p. 40) blows; see Injury to Unliving,
if you’re a beast, Plant Empathy (p. 75) Homogenous, and Diffuse Targets
15 points if you’re a plant, or Spirit Empathy (p. 380). Most foes (GM’s decision)
You are an “Illuminatus” in the (p. 88) if you’re a demon, ghost, etc. cannot slam or grapple you! Diffuse
original sense of the word – you are Everyone else – however convincing – includes all the benefits of No Blood,
enlightened. You know what’s going fails automatically. This trait often No Brain, and No Vitals. 100 points.
on, and you know it intuitively. accompanies Unfazeable (p. 95). Homogenous: Your body has no
You can discern other Illuminati vulnerable internal organs, bones,
on sight, with no possibility of error. Infravision 31 muscles, or other mechanisms. As a
Furthermore, whenever the GM 0 or 10 points result, you are less susceptible to
requires a roll against a skill such as You can see into the infrared por- piercing and impaling attacks; see
Current Affairs, Hidden Lore, or tion of the spectrum, allowing you to Injury to Unliving, Homogenous, and
Intelligence Analysis to tell whether a detect varying degrees of heat. This Diffuse Targets (p. 380). Homogenous
certain strange occurrence is truly a lets you fight at no penalty even in includes the benefits of No Brain and
coincidence or the result of a conspir- absolute darkness, if your target emits No Vitals. This trait is intended for
acy, you may roll against the higher of heat (this includes all living beings entities such as iron golems, trees, and
your IQ and the specific skill in slimes. 40 points.
and most machines). It also gives you


60 ADVANTAGES

No Blood: You do not rely upon a Binding, p. 40). Examples include a trauma (p. 379) than other types of
vital bodily fluid (like blood) for sur- dragon’s fiery breath, a robot’s built-in damage. 5 points/level.
vival. You do not bleed (see Bleeding, blaster, and a god’s ability to hurl light- Cutting (cut)
p. 420), are unaffected by blood-borne ning bolts. Your attack inflicts lacerations, like
toxins, and are immune to attacks that By default, this is a ranged attack those caused by an axe or broken
rely on cutting off blood to part of with 1/2D 10, Max 100, Acc 3, RoF 1, glass. Multiply penetrating damage by
your body. 5 points. Shots N/A, and Recoil 1, although you 1.5. Cutting attacks can inflict blunt
No Brain: Your brain – if you have can apply modifiers to change these trauma and cause knockback. 7
one – is distributed throughout your statistics (see pp. 101-116). points/level.
body, or isn’t your true seat of con- An Innate Attack inflicts 1d dam-
sciousness. Your opponents cannot age per level. Its cost per level depends Fatigue (fat)
target it for extra damage. You may on the type of damage it inflicts: Your attack is nonlethal. It might
have a head, but a blow to the skull or Burning (burn) involve a low-amperage electric shock
eye is treated no differently than a Your attack inflicts damage using or a “mind blast,” or even inflict a
blow to the face (except that an eye flame, an energy beam, or localized weakening effect such as hypothermia
injury can still cripple that eye). 5 electrical burns. It may ignite fires! 5 or starvation. It reduces FP, not HP,
points. points/level. and cannot affect machines. 10
No Eyes: You lack eyes or other vul- points/level.
nerable optics, but can somehow see
despite this (unless of course you suf-
fer from Blindness, p. 124). As you
have no eyes, they cannot be attacked.
You are also immune to blinding
attacks. 5 points. Alternative Attacks
No Head: You have no head at all.
This includes the benefits of No Brain. If you have multiple Innate Attacks, you may define them as being the
As well, you lack “skull” and “face” hit same basic attack, but with different settings, ammo types, etc. Determine
locations, and have no need for head the cost of these “alternative attacks” as usual, but only pay full price for
armor. You can still see, speak, hear, the most expensive attack. Buy additional attacks at 1/5 cost (round up).
smell, taste, etc. unless you take the This can save a lot of points, but there are drawbacks. First, since the
appropriate disadvantages. Specify attacks represent a single ability, you cannot use them simultaneously,
how you do this (supernaturally, tech- even if you are capable of multiple attacks. This also prevents you from
nologically, via organs on your torso, combining them with the Link enhancement (p. 106). As well, any critical
etc.). It is common – but not manda- failure or malfunction that disables one of your attacks disables all of
tory – for those with No Head to have them. Finally, if your most expensive attack is somehow drained or neu-
No Neck, No Eyes, or both. 7 points. tralized, none of the cheaper attacks will work.
No Neck: You have no neck. As a You may also apply this rule to multiple Afflictions (p. 35) or Bindings
result, you have no “neck” hit location, (p. 40), or any combination of these with Innate Attacks that you cannot
and cannot be decapitated, choked, or use simultaneously. With the GM’s permission, you can apply this rule to
strangled. 5 points. multipurpose Strikers (p. 88) as well.
No Vitals: You have no vital organs
(such as a heart or engine) that attack-
ers can target for extra damage. Treat
hits to the “vitals” or “groin” as torso
hits. 5 points. Impaling (imp)
Unliving: Your body is not com- Corrosion (cor) Your attack inflicts stab wounds,
posed of living flesh. You take reduced Your attack involves acid, disinte- like a spear or an arrow. Double pene-
damage from piercing and impaling gration, or something similar. For trating damage in flesh! Impaling
attacks, but are not quite as resilient every 5 points of basic damage you attacks can target the eyes and vital
as if you were Homogenous; see Injury inflict, reduce the target’s DR by 1, in organs, can inflict blunt trauma, and
to Unliving, Homogenous, and Diffuse addition to regular damage. (Living may slip through high-tech flexible
Targets (p. 380). This trait is intended beings heal natural DR at the same armor. 8 points/level.
mainly for machines and corporeal rate as HP.) 10 points/level.
undead. 20 points. Piercing
Crushing (cr) Your attack involves a fast, blunt
Innate Attack 31 Your attack inflicts damage projectile, such as a bullet, or is sharp
Variable through blunt impact, like a bludg- but too small to qualify as impaling,
eoning weapon or an explosive blast.
You have a natural or built-in It is likely to cause knockback (p. 378), like a dart or a stinger. It may inflict
attack with which you can inflict and is more effective at inflicting blunt blunt trauma, and can target the eyes
physical damage (for nondamaging and vital organs. There are four sub-
attacks, see Affliction, p. 35, and classes of piercing attack:


ADVANTAGES 61

Small Piercing (pi-): Use this for use Respiratory Agent (p. 108) or noncombat abilities; for instance, a jet
very low-energy projectiles (e.g., blow- Contact Agent (p. 103), often with of high-pressure water could put out
gun darts), or for attacks that tend to Area Effect (p. 102), Cone (p. 103), or fires. The GM has the final say as to
punch through the target and leave a Jet (p. 106). Attacks that depend on whether your description fits the cam-
small wound channel (e.g., armor- touch or on skin contact use Blood paign setting, and may modify the
piercing bullets). Against flesh, halve Agent (p. 102) or Contact Agent, plus attack if necessary.
damage that penetrates DR. 3 one of Aura (p. 102) or Melee Attack
points/level. (p. 112). Insubstantiality 2/31
Piercing (pi): Use this for most rifle Regardless of other modifiers, 80 points
and pistol bullets. 5 points/level. Innate Attacks are treated as ranged You can become intangible, pass-
Large Piercing (pi+): Use this for attacks unless given the Melee Attack ing through solid objects as though
attacks similar to large-caliber solid limitation; then they’re considered they weren’t there. In this state, gravi-
bullets, or for smaller projectiles that melee weapons. ty does not affect you – you can move
create large wound channels (e.g., hol- Description in any direction at full Move (and
low-point bullets). Multiply penetrat- After applying all relevant modi- make no noise when you move). You
ing damage in flesh by 1.5. 6 fiers, name and describe the attack. can perceive the tangible world, and
points/level. You can be as general as “dragon speak normally to those within it, but
Huge Piercing (pi++): Use this for fire” or as specific as “9mm machine you cannot pick up normal objects or
attacks that leave an even larger pistol cybernetically implanted in affect them in any way.
wound channel than large piercing. right arm.” At the GM’s discretion, Physical and energy attacks cannot
Double penetrating damage in flesh! 8 the description can imply additional harm you, but you’re still vulnerable
points/level.
Toxic (tox)
Your attack inflicts cellular dam-
age, in the manner of disease, poison,
or radiation. It cannot normally affect
machines. The modifiers Cyclic
(p. 103), Onset (p. 113), and Resistible
(p. 115) are usual, but not required. 4
points/level.
Partial Dice
You do not have to buy whole-
numbered dice of damage. Each ±1 to
damage counts as ±0.3 dice. Round
the final cost up. For instance, an
Innate Attack that does 1d+2 damage
counts as 1.6 dice. If it were crushing
(5 points/die), it would cost 1.6 ¥ 5 = 8
points.
Some attacks do only 1 point of
damage. This counts as 0.25 dice.
Once again, round cost up. Such
attacks can still be deadly – especially
if they involve the Follow-Up (p. 105)
or Cyclic (p. 103) enhancement!
Special Modifiers
Many special modifiers for Innate
Attack appear under Attack
Enhancements and Limitations
(p. 102). You can use these to create
almost any attack – built-in guns,
lasers, jets of liquid fire, gale-force
winds, etc. – and to duplicate the capa-
bilities of weapons listed in GURPS
books.
Fatigue and toxic attacks intended
to simulate poison or disease require
modifiers. Noxious agents on Claws
(p. 42), Teeth (p. 91), darts, etc. use
Follow-Up (p. 105). Gases and sprays


62 ADVANTAGES

to psionic and (nonmaterial) magical hand, pick up material objects, and Individuals using paranormal
attacks. Likewise, your physical and carry them while insubstantial. +20%, remote viewing (crystal balls, Clair -
energy attacks cannot affect physical or +100% if you can turn an item you voyance, etc.) cannot see you if you
opponents. Your psi abilities and are carrying substantial without drop- would be invisible to their normal
magic spells can affect the physical ping it (this requires turning your vision. Devices with these powers can
world, but at -3 to all skill rolls. hand substantial, too). still sense you, as can paranormal abil-
Although you can pass through Special Limitations ities that detect enemies, life, and so
solids, you must still breathe. When Always On: You are always insub- on nonvisually.
moving through a solid object, treat stantial and cannot materialize. If you Invisibility only works against one
this as if you were swimming under- have this limitation, there is no -3 to sort of vision. Types include electro-
water for purposes of suffocation. You use magic or psionics. -50%. magnetic vision (which encompasses
cannot materialize inside a solid Usually On: Similar to Always On, ordinary vision, Infravision, Ultra -
object. but you can materialize for short peri- vision, and radar), sonar, magnetic
Your “natural” form (physical or ods with great effort. Materialization fields, and anything else the GM
insubstantial) is considered a special costs 1 FP per second. -40%. comes up with. If you are invisible to
effect. You must take this advantage if electromagnetic vision, you do not
you can change between a physical Intuition 2 cast a shadow and don’t show up in
and an insubstantial form. mirrors.
This trait can represent any num- 15 points Special Enhancements
ber of abilities from folklore and fic- You usually guess right. When Affects Machines: You are invisible
tion. You should work out its origins faced with a number of alternatives, even to machines. You cannot be pho-
(see p. 33) and special effects with the and no logical way to choose among tographed, and you don’t show up on
GM – perhaps you “vibrate” out of them, you can ask the GM to let you cameras or other detectors. Devices
synch with reality, phase into a differ- use your Intuition. The GM makes a such as pressure plates still notice you,
ent dimension, or become a spirit. This secret IQ roll, with a bonus equal to but you could walk past a robot sentry
determines your appearance, which the number of “good” choices and a undetected. Electronically targeted
may be transparent, misty . . . or com- penalty equal to the number of “bad” weapons get no bonuses to hit you.
pletely normal (but you can’t be invisi- choices. On a success, he steers you to +50%.
ble without the Invisibility advantage). a good choice; on a critical success, he Can Carry Objects: The objects you
Your physical and energy attacks affect tells you the best choice. On a failure, carry, including clothing and armor,
other beings using the same form of he gives you no information; on a crit- become invisible. They regain visibili-
Insubstantiality, and their attacks ical failure, he steers you toward a bad ty when put down. No encumbrance is
affect you. The GM may rule that cer- choice. The GM can modify this as he +10%; Light, +20%; Medium, +50%;
tain materials, energy barriers, magic sees fit for other situations where Heavy, +100%.
spells, etc. are impenetrable to your Intuition might logically help. Only Extended: You are invisible to more
particular form of Insubstantiality. one roll per question is allowed.
The GM should never allow than one type of vision (for instance,
Special Enhancements Intuition to short-circuit an adventure electromagnetic vision and magnetic
Affect Substantial: If you have any – for instance, by letting the intuitive fields). +20% per additional type of
abilities that can affect the substantial detective walk into a room, slap the vision.
world when you are insubstantial – cuffs on the guilty party, and close the Switchable: You are normally visi-
including magic, psionics, or powers case. At the most, Intuition would ble, but can become invisible at will.
with the Affects Substantial enhance- point the detective in the direction of a +10%.
ment (p. 102) – this advantage costs good clue. GMs who don’t think they Usually On: You are normally invis-
more. +100%. can control Intuition should not allow ible, but can become visible for short
Can Carry Objects: Normally, you it in their games. periods with great effort. Turning visi-
cannot carry anything while insub- ble costs 1 FP per second. +5%.
stantial. This enhancement lets you Intuitive Mathematician Special Limitations
carry objects, including clothing and see Lightning Calculator, p. 66 Machines Only: Similar to Affects
armor. They become physical if Machines, but you are only invisible to
dropped. You cannot materialize these Invisibility 2/31 machines. Living beings can see you
objects inside other objects or charac- normally. -50%.
ters. No encumbrance is +10%; Light, 40 points Substantial Only: Your invisibility
+20%; Medium, +50%; Heavy, +100%. You are invisible. Unlike most only hides you in the material world.
Partial Change: You can turn part advantages, this one is “always on” Insubstantial beings (ghosts, etc.) can
of your body substantial while other unless you take a special enhance- see you normally. -10%.
parts remain insubstantial, or vice ment. You still make noise, leave foot- Visible Reflection: You can be seen
versa. Thus, you could reach through prints, and have a scent – and by in mirrors! -10%.
a wall and tap someone on the shoul- default, anything you carry remains Visible Shadow: You cast a shad-
der. If you also have Can Carry visible. If you are carrying nothing, ow! -10%.
Objects, you can materialize your you get a +9 to Stealth in any situation
where being seen would matter.


ADVANTAGES 63

Jumper 25 p. 74). Take the Extra Carrying a single IQ roll – for instance, from the
Capacity enhancement (below) if you present day in our timeline to 1066
100 points
wish to carry more weight, or bring A.D. in a parallel timeline where the
You can travel through time or to along other people. Norman invasion of England failed.
parallel worlds (sometimes known as However, if multiple Jumpers of the +10%.
“timelines”) merely by willing the same kind are in physical contact, Tracking: You can travel to the
“jump.” Decide whether you are a when one jumps, the others can “hitch “home” time or world of any man-
time-jumper or a world-jumper. To do a ride” if they wish – even if the made artifact you can hold or touch.
both, you must buy Jumper (Time) Jumper who initiates the jump does Time-jumpers will arrive shortly after
and Jumper (World) separately, at full not want company. Only the person the item was created; world-jumpers
cost. initiating the jump makes a die roll; will arrive at the current date on the
To initiate a jump, you must visual- wherever he ends up, the others do, item’s home timeline. Any such
ize your destination, concentrate for too. attempt is at IQ-2, and each Jumper
10 seconds, and make an IQ roll. You If you are a world-jumper, “hitch- only gets one try per artifact. +20%.
may hurry the jump, but your roll will ing a ride” is the only way to visit a Tunnel: You always create a portal
be at -1 per second of concentration new parallel world (save for a critical (of about your size) when you jump.
omitted (-10 to jump with no prepara- failure!). However, once you reach a Others may pass through it, even if
tion at all). Regardless of IQ, a roll of world, you can memorize its “feel” by they can’t jump. The portal lingers for
14 or more always fails. On a success, concentrating and spending character 3d seconds, which can be good or bad
you appear at your target destination. points to “learn” that world as an – it means enemies can follow you!
On a failure, you go nowhere. On a IQ/Easy skill. This takes one hour per +40%.
critical failure, you arrive at the wrong point you wish to spend. Use this skill Warp Jump: This enhancement is
destination, which can be any time or in place of IQ when you travel to that only available if you have the Warp
world the GM wishes! world in the future. You never have to advantage (p. 97). You must apply it to
You appear at your destination at memorize a world, but if you do not, both Jumper and Warp. When you
exactly the same place you left your you roll at IQ-3 to attempt to return. jump, you can simultaneously use
previous time or world – or as close as Time-jumpers have no similar Warp to appear anywhere at your des-
possible. When jumping through time, restriction. tination. Two die rolls are necessary –
this means the same place at a differ- one per ability – and it is possible for
ent time. When jumping between You can improve this ability with one to succeed while the other fails, or
worlds, this means the same place at practice, spending points to add for both to fail. +10%.
the same time, but on a parallel world. enhancements or remove limitations.
If there is no corresponding “safe” GMs who do not want the PCs jump- Special Limitations
location within 100 yards of your des- ing multiple times per adventure are Cannot Escort: This is only avail-
tination – for instance, if you jump free to impose mandatory limitations able for world-jumpers. Other
while on an airplane to a destination (e.g., Limited Use) that cannot be Jumpers cannot “hitch a ride,” even if
with no plane at your location, or bought off. you want to bring them along. -10%.
from a half-mile deep mine to a desti- Special Enhancements Cannot Follow: This is only avail-
nation with no corresponding mine – Extra Carrying Capacity: You can able for world-jumpers. You cannot
the jump will fail and you will know carry more than your Basic Lift. If “hitch a ride” with another
why it failed. This does not prevent your carrying capacity is high enough, Jumper. -20%.
you from jumping into other types of you may transport one person with Drift: You do not arrive in exactly
danger, such as radiation, gunfire, or you. Light encumbrance is +10%; the location you left from. You won’t
wild animals. If you have Danger Medium, +20%; Heavy, +30%; Extra- arrive in thin air or underground, but
Sense, the GM should roll before you Heavy, +50%. you may show up anywhere within 10
make a hazardous jump; on a success, New Worlds: This is only available miles of your planned destination. The
you get a warning. for world-jumpers. You can deliber- better your IQ roll when you jump, the
This ability always costs at least 1 ately aim for worlds you haven’t visit- closer you will be to where you want-
FP to use, whether it succeeds or fails. ed. The IQ roll is always at -3 or worse ed to arrive, but it’s the GM’s call as to
Particularly “distant” times or worlds (GM’s decision). Of course, it is always exactly where you appear. -15%.
might cost more, perhaps up to 10 FP, possible that the desired destination Limited Jump: You can only travel
at the GM’s discretion. If you are a does not exist, in which case the a certain distance through time, or a
machine, this ability does not cost you attempt automatically fails – although certain number of “removes” between
FP – but if you have passengers, each the GM will not tell you why. All FP parallel worlds, per jump. To go fur-
of them must pay the FP cost. costs are doubled when using this ther, you must make multiple hops.
For an example of how Jumper enhancement. +50%. The GM must set the value of this lim-
might work in a particular game Omni-Jump: This is only available itation for his campaign; it will be
world, see World-Jumpers (p. 544). more of a handicap in some settings
if you are both a world-jumper and a
Carrying Things time-jumper! You must apply it to than in others. A suggested value
is -10%.
You can carry up to Basic Lift both Jumper advantages. This lets you
when you travel, plus any Payload (see move between times and timelines on


64 ADVANTAGES

Maximum Range: You can only • You have three or more of the it, but you can’t be whipped, impris-
jump a certain total distance through above abilities. Examples: a Gestapo, oned, or killed. Anyone who violates
time, or a certain number of KGB, or Stasi agent. 15 points. your immunity risks damage to his
“removes” between parallel worlds, no name and reputation. Other bards will
matter how many hops you make. Legal Enforcement Powers almost compose and distribute vicious satires
Like Limited Jump, the GM must set always require an appropriate Duty about him, giving him a bad
the value of this limitation. (p. 133). In some cases, a Reputation Reputation. They might even expose a
Naked: You can carry nothing (positive, negative, or mixed) is also Secret, if he has one! This advantage
when you jump! You always arrive appropriate. All levels of Legal applies to the content of your
naked. -30%. Enforcement Powers include Police performances and nothing else. It
Stunning: You are always mentally Rank 0 (see p. 30). To become a senior is only available to true bards,
stunned after a jump. -10%. law enforcer, buy more Rank. in fantasy/medieval settings. To
Language Talent 2 Legal Immunity 4 qualify for this advantage, you must
spend at least 1 point apiece on the
10 points 5 to 20 points Performance, Poetry, and Singing
You have a knack for languages. You are exempt from some or all of skills. 10 points.
When you learn a language at a the laws of your society. Diplomatic Immunity: You are an
comprehension level above None, Should you break the law, international diplomat. You may
you automatically function at ordinary law enforcers do ignore the laws of all countries except
the next-highest level; thus, not have the power to your own. While abroad, you cannot
you can purchase a language charge you. Only one par- be prosecuted for any crime, no mat-
at Accented level for 2 points ticular authority – your ter how grave; the local police may
or at Native level for 4 points. own church or social arrest you, but they cannot press
For full language rules, see class, a special court, charges. The only recourse for a for-
Language (p. 23). perhaps even your ruler – eign government is to declare you per-
can judge or punish you. sona non grata. This means you must
The point cost depends
Legal Enforcement on how sweeping the immu- leave the country at once, ending your
Powers 4 nity is (GM’s judgment): current assignment – and possibly
your career. Foreign powers may
5, 10, or 15 points request your extradition for normal
You are a law enforcer, with • You are not subject to prosecution, but your government is
ordinary laws, but the
the accompanying powers and rules that govern your unlikely to comply. This trait always
restrictions. In some times and behavior are just as strict. comes with a Duty (p. 133) to a gov-
places, this amounts to a Examples: a medieval abbot ernment agency, and often has some
license to kill. In others, it’s or a modern UN observer. 5 level of Administrative Rank (p. 30) as
little more than the right to points. a prerequisite. 20 points.
carry a badge and write parking • As above, but the laws that apply
tickets. to you are less strict than those that Less Sleep 3
The point cost depends on the apply to most people. Example: a 2 points/level
kinds of laws you enforce, the size of medieval bard (see below). 10 points. You need less sleep than most peo-
your jurisdiction, how answerable you • You can do nearly anything you ple. A normal human requires 8 hours
are for your actions, and the degree of please provided you don’t injure the of sleep per night. Each level of this
respect you must show for the civil nation, church, or other power that advantage – to a maximum of four lev-
rights of others:
granted you Legal Immunity in the els – lets you get by with one hour less
• You have local jurisdiction, the first place. Examples: a medieval duke than this, giving you a few extra hours
ability to arrest suspected criminals, or an international diplomat (see each day in which to study or work on
the power to perform searches with an below). 15 points. other projects.
appropriate warrant, and possibly the For an extra 5 points, you may add
right to carry a concealed weapon. “diplomatic pouch” privileges: you Lifting ST 31
Examples: a Victorian bobby or a can send and receive mail or objects 3 points per +1 ST
modern policeman. 5 points. that the ordinary authorities cannot You have lifting capacity out of pro-
• As above, but you also have legally stop or examine. portion to your mass. This is common
national or international jurisdiction, Two classes of Legal Immunity are for vehicles and supers. Add your
or are not obligated to respect the civil of special interest to adventurers: Lifting ST to your ordinary ST when
rights of others, or are free to engage you determine Basic Lift (p. 15) for the
in covert investigations, or may kill Bardic Immunity: You have the purposes of carrying, lifting, pushing,
with relative impunity. Examples: an right to sing what you please without and pulling. Lifting ST also adds to ST
FBI agent or a medieval Royal fear of serious consequences. You may in situations where you can apply slow,
Guardsman. 10 points. even sing a grossly insulting song to steady pressure (grappling, choking,
the king – you might get banished for



ADVANTAGES 65

etc.). Lifting ST does not boost ST (or (e.g., to see if you notice something), Magery 0: This is basic “magical
Basic Lift) for the purpose of deter- you may tell him you are using your awareness,” a prerequisite for learn-
mining HP, throwing distance, or Luck ahead of time, and he must roll ing magic in most worlds. The GM
damage inflicted by melee attacks or three times and give you the best makes a Sense roll (p. 358) when you
thrown weapons. result. 15 points. first see a magic item, and again when
If you bought your ST with the Size Extraordinary Luck: As above, but you first touch it. On a success, you
limitation, apply the same limitation usable every 30 minutes. 30 points. intuitively know that the item is mag-
to Lifting ST. The No Fine Ridiculous Luck: As above, but ical. A roll of 3 or 4 also tells you
Manipulators limitation does not give usable every 10 minutes! 60 points. whether the magic is helpful or
a discount, however. dangerous, and about how strong it
Your Luck only applies to your is. Those without Magery do not get
Lightning Calculator 2 own success, damage, or reaction this roll! 5 points.
2 or 5 points rolls, or on outside events that affect Magery 1+: Higher levels of Magery
you or your whole party, or when you
You have the ability to do math in are being attacked (in which case you make it much easier to learn and use
your head, instantly. This talent may make the attacker roll three times magic. Add your Magery to IQ when
comes in two levels: and take the worst roll!). you learn spells. For instance, if you
have IQ 14, Magery 3 lets you learn
Lightning Calculator: You, the play- You cannot share Luck. If Strong spells as if you had IQ 17. Add your
er, may use a calculator at any time, to Sam is trying to kick open a door, Magery level to Perception when you
figure anything you want – even if Lucky Lou can’t stand behind him and roll to sense magic items, and to IQ
your character is fleeing for his life! transfer his Luck. He’ll have to kick when you learn Thaumatology skill
For simple math problems, the GM that door himself. (p. 225).
may just say that your character Once you use Luck, you must wait Reduce the time required to learn
knows the answer. 2 points. an hour of real time (30 minutes for new spells in play (but not the point
Intuitive Mathematician: As above, Extraordinary Luck, 10 minutes for cost) by 10% per Magery level, to a
but your ability is not limited to arith- Ridiculous Luck) before using it minimum of 60% of the usual time at
metic. You can perform astrogation again. You cannot use Luck at 11:58 Magery 4. For instance, with Magery
without a computer, do any level of and then again at 12:01. And you can- 3, you would learn spells in 70% the
engineering design in your head, and not save up Luck. You cannot play for usual time.
solve differential equations almost hours without using Luck and then Powerful spells require a minimum
instantaneously. You never need a cal- use it several times in a row! level of Magery as a prerequisite, so be
culator; you yourself are far faster Special Limitations sure to skim the Spell List (pp. 242-
than that, and even faster than many Active: Your Luck is a conscious 253) when deciding how much
computers. 5 points. supernatural power. You must declare Magery you need. Note that high
that you are using it before you roll the Magery lets you produce powerful
True mathematical geniuses will
have one of the above traits and one or dice. It cannot be used “after the fact” results with even the most basic spells;
more levels of Mathematical Ability to reroll a bad result. -40%. see Magery and Effect (p. 237). The GM
(see Talent, p. 89). Aspected: Your Luck applies only to sets the maximum Magery allowed to
one specific class of related tasks, such PCs. Magery 3 is about right for “clas-
Longevity 3 as athletics, social interactions, or sic fantasy.” 10 points/level (on top of
2 points skills you use at your job. “Combat” is the 5 points for Magery 0).
a valid choice, but it only affects
Your lifespan is naturally very long. weapon skill rolls, active defenses, and Mages in Nonmagical Settings
You fail aging rolls (see p. 444) only on ST or DX rolls for close combat – not The use of Magery becomes tricky
a 17 or 18 – or only on an 18, if your DX rolls to avoid tripping, HT rolls to in nonmagical backgrounds. You still
modified HT is 17 or better! survive, etc. -20%. have the ability to sense magic, but
Defensive: You can only use your until you gain experience with magic,
Luck 2 Luck to reroll failed active defense the GM should not say, “That idol is
Variable rolls, resistance rolls, or HT rolls to magical,” but, “That idol looks very
You were born lucky! There are resist the effects of injury, or to make strange to you, very sinister. You sense
there is something special about it.”
three progressively more “cinematic” an opponent reroll a critical hit against If you are from a nonmagical cul-
levels of Luck: you. -20%.
ture, you do not start with any spells,
Luck: Once per hour of play, you Magery 25 but you can still learn magic if you
may reroll a single bad die roll twice find an opportunity. When you enter a
and take the best of the three rolls! 5 points for Magery 0, +10 magical world, those who can detect
You must declare that you are using points/level your aura recognize you as a potential
your Luck immediately after you roll You are magically adept. This magic-user. How they react depends
the dice. Once you or anyone else has advantage comes in levels. You must on the setting.
made another die roll, it is too late to purchase Magery 0 before buying Magery 0 costs 5 points for all
use Luck. If the GM is rolling in secret higher levels of Magery.
mages, but you may apply one of the


66 ADVANTAGES

limitations below to the 10 points/level when it is one minute to sunrise and to let friendly wizards cast spells on
for Magery 1+. Limited Magery is one minute to sunset. -40%. you (e.g., to heal you) or to benefit
sometimes known as “aspected One College Only: Your Magery from helpful elixirs!
Magery.” only benefits the spells of a single Magic Resistance only interferes
college and the Recover Energy spell with spells cast directly on you. It
Special Limitations
Dance: You must be free to use (p. 248). You learn other spells as provides no benefit against Missile
bodily motions in order to cast spells. though you were a nonmage, and can spells (which are cast on the wizard’s
You are not freed from rituals only cast them in high-mana areas. hand and hurled at you), attacks by
requiring movement as your spell level You may still count such spells as pre- magic weapons, or information-
increases (see Magic Rituals, p. 237). requisites for spells in your own col- gathering spells that aren’t cast
However, you need not speak at all to lege. You cannot detect magic items directly on you. It also has no effect
cast your spells. -40%. unless they contain at least one spell on supernatural powers other than
Dark-Aspected: You can only use of your college, in which case you roll magic; e.g., divine miracles, psionics,
your powers in darkness. Regardless normally for detection on first sight or the innate powers of spirits.
of the time of day or night, any light and first touch. -40%. Magic Resistance, and its precise
greater than candlelight or starlight Solitary: Your magical abilities are level, can be recognized by any mage
deprives you of your abilities, though at -3 for every sapient being within who looks at your aura, or by anyone
your aura reveals that you are a five yards of you, and -6 for anyone who casts a spell on you.
mage. -50%. touching you. As partial compensa- You cannot combine Magic
Day-Aspected: You can use your tion, you get a roll vs. IQ to notice any Resistance with Magery. If you have
powers only when the sun is in the sky time a sapient creature enters or even one level of Magic Resistance,
– on average, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. leaves the five-yard area around you – you can’t cast spells at all (although
During solar eclipses, you have no but this only works on a single person. you can still use magic weapons).
powers! The effects of other astro- If there is already someone standing Special Enhancements
nomical events are up to the GM. next to you, you won’t notice if some- Improved: You Magic Resistance
When the sun is down, you have none one else approaches. -40%. does not interfere with your own abil-
of your magical abilities, although a Song: You must be able to sing in ity to cast spells. This allows you to
look at your aura reveals that you are order to cast your spells. You are not possess both Magery and Magic
a mage. You are not affected by being freed from the ritual of speaking to Resistance. +150%.
in buildings, underground, and so on; cast spells as your spell level increases
only the sun’s position matters. You (see Magic Rituals, p. 237). -40%. Mana Damper 25
know automatically (if you are awake) 10 points/level
when it is one minute to sunrise and You negate magical energy
one minute to sunset. -40%. (“mana”) in your vicinity, making it
difficult or impossible for others to
cast spells. You can never cast spells
Magic Resistance, and its precise level, can be yourself, nor can you have any level of
recognized by any mage who looks at your aura, Magery.
Each level of Mana Damper (to a
or by anyone who casts a spell on you. If you maximum of three) reduces the local
have even one level of Magic Resistance, you mana level by one step, but only for
you and people or things that you’re
can’t cast spells at all. carrying. For instance, a wizard could
throw a fireball at you unhindered,
but he would find it difficult to use
magic to turn you to stone or read
Musical: You must use a musical Magic Resistance 25 your mind. For details, see Mana
instrument in order to cast spells. You 2 points/level (p. 235).
can never cast spells silently. -50%. You are less likely to be affected by
Night-Aspected: You can only use magic. Subtract your Magic Special Enhancements
your powers when the sun is not in the Resistance from the skill of anyone Area Effect: Your ability affects
sky – on average, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. casting a spell on you, and add it to everything in an area centered on you.
When the sun is up, you have none of your roll to resist any spell that offers The first level of Area Effect gives you
your magical abilities, although a look a resistance roll. For instance, if you a radius of one yard. Each level after
at your aura reveals that you are a have Magic Resistance 3, wizards the first doubles this radius as usual;
mage. You are not affected by being in have -3 to cast spells on you and you see Area Effect (p. 102). +50%/level.
buildings, underground, and so on; get +3 to resist. In addition, you may Switchable: You can switch this
only the sun’s position matters. You roll against HT + Magic Resistance to power off – for instance, to let a friend-
know automatically (if you are awake) ly wizard affect you or operate within
resist the effects of magical elixirs. your area of effect. +100%.
You cannot “turn off” this advantage



ADVANTAGES 67

Mana Enhancer 25 Merchant Rank 100¥, and so on. This magnification
50 points/level see Rank, p. 29 only applies to objects within 1 foot.
Level 1 suffices for ordinary foren-
You radiate magical energy, or sic investigation. Level 3 (1,000¥) is
“mana.” Each level of Mana Enhancer Metabolism Control equivalent to the best optical micro-
(to a maximum of two) increases the 31 scopes. Level 5 (100,000¥) is compara-
local mana level by one step, but only 5 points/level ble to an electron microscope, capable
for you and people or things that of imaging viruses. Level 6
you’re carrying. If more than one You can control normally involun- (1,000,000¥) is on par with a scan-
character with Mana Enhancer could tary biological functions such as ning-tunneling or atomic force micro-
increase the mana level, apply only the pulse, blood flow, digestion, and respi- scope, and can study an object’s atom-
highest increase; do not add the effects ration. Each level of Metabolism ic structure.
together. Control gives +1 on any HT roll that
This ability does not directly confer would benefit from such control Military Rank
the ability to cast spells; for that, take (GM’s decision), including bleeding see Rank, p. 29
Magery (p. 66). However, if you can rolls (see Bleeding, p. 420) and rolls to
raise the mana level to “high” or better, recover from (not resist) disease and
you can cast many spells without poison. Mimicry 21
Magery! For details, see Mana (p. 235). You can also enter a deathlike 10 points
This ability has its drawbacks: you trance. Anyone unfamiliar with your You can duplicate any simple
cannot have Magic Resistance, and metabolism must win a Quick Contest sound (alarm, gunshot, etc.) by listen-
mages get an IQ + Magery roll to sense of Diagnosis vs. your HT + ing to it for one second and making a
that you possess this trait. In some Metabolism Control to discover that successful IQ roll. You can also imitate
game worlds, this combination may you aren’t dead. In this state, each voices by spending at least 10 seconds
force you to hide from unethical wiz- level of Metabolism Control reduces listening to them – live, recorded, or
ards! by 10% the amount of oxygen you remotely – and making an IQ roll.
The GM should keep this trait need to stay alive (at level 10 or high- This trait gives you no special abil-
under strict control, as it is powerful er, you don’t breathe at all), and doubles ity to stun or deafen others with loud
and easily abused in fantasy settings. the amount of time you can safely go sounds, or to speak unpronounceable
without food or water. You are
Special Enhancements unaware of your surroundings while magic words. Buy any such capabili-
Area Effect: Your ability affects in your trance, but awaken automati- ties separately.
everything in an area centered on you. cally if injured. You may also set a Mind Control 21
The first level of Area Effect gives you mental “alarm clock” to awaken you
a radius of one yard. Each level after after a certain amount of time has 50 points
the first doubles this radius as usual; passed. You can mentally dominate those
see Area Effect (p. 102). +50%/level. This ability is incompatible with you can see or touch. To use this abili-
Switchable: You can switch this the Machine meta-trait (see p. 263). ty, concentrate for one second and
power off in order to deprive enemy Special Limitations then roll a Quick Contest: your IQ vs.
wizards of its benefits (or simply to your subject’s Will.
hide from them!). +100%. Hibernation: You can only use the
trance ability, and get no bonus to HT Modifiers: Range penalties to the
Mathematical Ability rolls. Furthermore, you automatically subject (see p. 550); -1 per slave
already under your control; +2 if you
see Talent, p. 89 enter a trance when exposed to certain
environmental conditions – great cold, concentrate for a full minute, or +4 if
Medium 25 drought, etc. Work this out with the you concentrate for a full hour.
GM. In such conditions, you must
If you win, your victim will obey
10 points make a Will roll to avoid hibernation. your every command until you free
You can perceive and communi- You can induce hibernation voluntar- him. In effect, he temporarily gains
cate with spirits – particularly spirits ily. To do so, roll vs. Will-4 hourly until the Reprogrammable disadvantage
of the dead. You don’t see them visu- you succeed. You cannot set a precise (p. 150), with you as his master. Your
ally, but you know when they’re near- “wake up” time. Set a duration, then control persists for as long as you take
by. You can speak with any spirit in multiply by (2d+3)/10. -60%. uninterrupted Concentrate maneu-
your presence, provided you share a vers. Once you stop, your control
language. You can also call spirits to Microscopic Vision 31 lingers for one minute per point by
you; there is no guarantee that they 5 points/level which you won the Quick Contest. (To
will answer your summons, but they You can see details that would nor- increase this, add Extended Duration,
will hear it. Note that this trait does mally be invisible without a magnify- p. 105.) If you are incapacitated
not give you a reaction bonus with ing glass or a microscope. Each level (stunned, knocked out, etc.), or
spirits, or any power to control their increases magnification by a factor of attempt to force the subject to act
behavior.
10: 5 points gives 10¥, 10 points gives against his principles (e.g., commit
suicide or harm a loved one), roll


68 ADVANTAGES

another Quick Contest. If your victim Mind Probe 21 understand the language, or if your
wins, he breaks free. Roll at the 20 points subject isn’t sapient, you only pick up
moment of truth – you can march him feelings, images, and general intent.
to the edge of a cliff, but he doesn’t roll You can perform a deep “mind You can maintain Mind Reading for
until he’s about to leap. probe.” In effect, you can force the as long as you wish without further
If you lose, you cannot attempt to subject to answer any one specific concentration. If you switch to anoth-
control that subject again for 24 question that he can answer with a er person, you must stop reading your
hours, and he feels a sense of mental brief sentence. To attempt a probe, current subject and roll a Quick
coercion emanating from you. On a you must first either touch your sub- Contest with the new subject. To read
critical failure, you also lose control of ject or successfully read his mind with multiple subjects at once, take
anyone else under the influence of this Mind Reading (below). You must also Compartmentalized Mind (p. 43).
ability! share a language with him. If you lose, you may try again, at a
Mind Control often has limitations: To use Mind Probe, you must con- cumulative -2 per repeated attempt on
Accessibility (Only on opposite sex), centrate for one second and roll a that subject in the past hour. Should
Sense-Based (for hypnotic voices, Quick Contest of your IQ (or you critically fail, you cannot read that
eyes, scents, etc.), and so on. It may Interrogation skill, if higher) vs. your person again for 24 hours.
also have attack modifiers, subject to subject’s Will. If you win, you rip the Mind Reading is often psionic in
the restrictions that apply to attacks answer from his mind. The answer is origin, but it is just as likely to be a
with Malediction (p. 106). Finally, you what the subject believes to be true – if magical, divine, or even technological
may apply the Cybernetic and he doesn’t know, he’ll tell you. If you ability.
Cybernetic Only modifiers from Mind lose, you may try again, at a cumula- The Sense-Based limitation
Reading (see below). tive -2 per repeated attempt to ask the (p. 115) – especially Touch-Based – is
same (or very similar) question in the
Special Enhancements past hour. Should you critically fail, common. If you take Hearing-Based,
Conditioning: You can reconstruct you cannot probe that person again you can only read the thoughts of
the subject’s psyche and implant sug- for 24 hours. someone whose words you can hear,
gestions. In effect, you can add or You may use Mind Probe to ask as but can function as a “truthreader”
remove any mundane mental disad- many questions as you wish, but each or (with Universal) a “universal
vantage. Add Delusions for false mem- question is a new use of your ability, translator.”
ories, or Amnesia to wipe memories. and requires a second of concentra-
Your victim must be under your con- tion and its own Quick Contest.
trol, cooperative, and conscious. Roll
a second Quick Contest. You are at -1
per full -5 points of disadvantages
changed, but you may substitute
Brainwashing skill (p. 182) for IQ. You can “hear” everything the subject says,
Duration in days is equal to your mar- subvocalizes, or actively thinks about.
gin of victory. If you win and roll a crit-
ical success, the conditioning is per-
manent! A conditioned subject who is
no longer under your direct control
imposes no penalty on the use of Mind Special Modifiers Special Enhancements
Control on others. Note that another The special enhancements and lim- Cybernetic: You can affect entities
person with this ability can use it to itations given for Mind Reading with the Digital Mind trait (p. 48),
undo your work. +50%. (below) are also available for Mind including all ordinary computers.
No Memory: Your victims have no Probe. Your IQ roll has a penalty equal to the
memory of anything that occurred system’s Complexity. A nonsentient
while under your control. +10%. Mind Reading 21 system does not resist; just roll vs. IQ -
Special Limitations 30 points Complexity to succeed. +50%.
Conditioning Only: You cannot You can eavesdrop on others’ sur- Sensory: You can also tap into your
use regular Mind Control – only face thoughts. You must be able to see subject’s senses. This lets you experi-
Conditioning (above). Uncooperative or touch the subject to affect him. ence everything he experiences. If he
victims must be restrained before you Concentrate for one second and roll a is tortured, knocked out, or killed, the
can use your ability. -50%. Quick Contest of IQ vs. the subject’s GM may require a Will roll to avoid
Puppet: Your victims have no ini- Will. Modify the roll for range penal- stunning – or perhaps even a Fright
tiative while under your control, and ties to the subject (see p. 550). Check! +20%.
temporarily acquire Slave Mentality If you win, you can “hear” every- Universal: You automatically
(p. 154). -40%. thing the subject says, subvocalizes, or understand thoughts, even those of
Telepathic: Your ability is part of actively thinks about as a voice in your nonsapient subjects and those with
the Telepathy psi power (see p. 257). head. Received thought comes at the whom you do not share a language.
-10%. speed of speech. If you do not +50%.



ADVANTAGES 69

Special Limitations thoughts through biochemical means. Mind Shield 21
Cybernetic Only: As for Cybernetic, -20%. 4 points/level
but you can only read Digital Sensory Only: As for Sensory, but
Minds. -50%. you can’t read thoughts at all. -20%. You have a “shield” that warns you
Racial: Your ability only works on Telecommunication: Your ability of and defends against mental attacks.
those of your own race or a very simi- only works on those with whom you Add your Mind Shield level to IQ or
lar race (for instance, humans are sim- are presently in contact via Will whenever you resist an advantage
ilar to elves, but not to dogs or trolls). Telecommunication (p. 91). -20%. with the Telepathic limitation (see
Combine this with the Sense-Based Telepathic: Your ability is part of Chapter 6) and whenever you resist a
limitation (Touch or Scent) to the Telepathy psi power (see spell listed under Communication and
represent a race that can share p. 257). -10%. Empathy Spells (p. 245) or Mind
Control Spells (p. 250).
Your shield also resists attempts to
locate your mind using magic or
psionics. Such abilities must win a
Quick Contest against your Will +
Mind Shield level to find you.
You may voluntarily lower your
Mind Shield if you wish – for instance,
to let a friend read your mind.
Lowering or raising your shield is a
free action, but it must take place at
the start of your turn. Mind Shield
does protect you while you are asleep
or unconscious, unless you fell asleep
or were knocked out while your shield
was voluntarily lowered.
Special Limitations
Cybernetic: Your shield protects
against computer-related attacks –
e.g., the “Digital” form of Possession
and the “Cybernetic” form of Mind
Probe or Mind Reading – instead of
magic and psi. This limitation is only
available to those with Digital Mind
(p. 48). -50%.
Telepathic: Your ability is part of
the Telepathy psi power (see p. 257).
-10%.

Mindlink 25
Variable
You have a permanent telepathic
rapport with someone – often a twin,
loved one, hive member, etc. You auto-
matically succeed at all attempts to
contact him with Telesend (see
Telecommunication, p. 91) and Mind
Reading (p. 69), provided he chooses
not to resist or has Slave Mentality.
Mindlink does not allow automatic
contact across interstellar distances
(more than 0.1 light-year), nor can it
reach other dimensions, parallel
worlds, etc.
Mindlink costs 5 points for a single
person, 10 points for 2-9 people, 20
points for 10-99 people, 30 points for
100-999 people, and so on – add 10
points per tenfold increase in the
number of people.


70 ADVANTAGES

As a rule, the GM should only per- determines the cash cost of such To use Neutralize, you must touch
mit PCs to buy Mindlinks with Allies, works. Cost per slot: 5 points base + 3 the subject (requires an Attack maneu-
Contacts, and Dependents; duplicates points per point of abilities. ver) and win a Quick Contest of Will.
(see Duplication, p. 50); and other PCs Cosmic Power: You simply wish If you succeed, you successfully neu-
(if their players permit). new abilities into being. This takes tralize all your victim’s psionic powers
one second per ability. Unlike other (see Chapter 6) for a number of min-
Special Modifiers
You may give Mindlink the same Modular Abilities, you only ever have utes equal to your margin of victory.
modifiers as your Mind Reading or one “slot,” and can rearrange your This has no effect on the subject’s
Telesend advantage. In most cases, the points into as many or as few abili- psionic Talents. Once you have neu-
GM should require this. ties as you wish, to the limit of tralized someone, you cannot affect
your advantage. 10 points per point of him again until his power recovers. A
Modular Abilities 2/31 abilities. critical failure with this ability crip-
ples it for 1d hours.
Variable Example: Alex buys two Chip Slots
You have a pool of character points at a base cost of 5 points/slot. This Special Enhancements
that you can reallocate under certain costs 10 points. One slot can hold a Power Theft: When you successful-
conditions. You may rearrange these chip with a single ability worth up to 2 ly neutralize a psi, you acquire his
points to add a skill (spell, technique, points, and costs 6 points. The other powers! You gain all the psionic abili-
etc.) or mental advantage temporarily can hold up to 5 points, and costs 15 ties you neutralized – including their
– or to improve such a trait, if you points. Total cost is 31 points. This enhancements and limitations – for
already have it. When you do, you lose appears on Alex’s character sheet as the duration. You can’t use Neutralize
any abilities to which those points “Chip Slots 2 (2, 5).” Alex will have to again until these powers wear off.
were previously assigned. buy, borrow, or steal the chips he uses +200%.
This advantage comes in “slots.” A – but he need not pay character points Special Limitations
slot can hold one skill or mental for them. One Power: You can only neutralize
advantage at a time. Each slot has a Use Preparation Required (p. 114) a specific psionic power; e.g., ESP or
fixed base cost, plus a cost per point in to increase the time needed to Telepathy. See Chapter 6 for a list of
the pool for that slot. Both costs rearrange your points, and Limited standard psi powers. -50%.
depend on the type of Modular Use (p. 112) to represent an ability
Abilities you have. Nictitating Membrane
that you forget immediately after
Computer Brain: Your abilities are using it. 31
actually computer programs. The GM Special Enhancements 1 point/level
decides whether a program exists for a Physical: Your ability is not limited You have a transparent lens over
given ability. If you have Telecom - to skills and mental advantages. your eyes that you can open and close
munication (p. 91), you may download +50% for physical advantages only, like an eyelid. This lets you see nor-
programs, usually from a network. or +100% for any mental or physical mally underwater, and protects your
How long this takes depends on the ability. eyes from sand, irritants, etc. Each
speed of data transfer in the setting – a level of Nictitating Membrane pro-
second per character point works well. Special Limitations vides your eyes (only) with DR 1 and
In some worlds, you must pay for such Spells Only: Your ability only works adds +1 to all HT rolls concerned with
programs; $100 per character point is with magic spells, which must usually eye damage.
typical. Cost per slot: 6 points base + 4 be “memorized” from a grimoire. This
points per point of abilities. is mutually exclusive with Physical. Night Vision 3
Chip Slots: As above, but the pro- -20%. 1 point/level
grams come on physical chips that Virtual: The abilities gained only
you must plug into a socket – usually apply in virtual reality, astral space, or Your eyes adapt rapidly to dark-
in your skull. It takes three seconds to another limited realm. -50%. ness. Each level of this ability (maxi-
insert or remove a chip. Chips typical- mum nine levels) allows you to
ly have negligible weight, but cost Musical Ability ignore -1 in combat or vision penalties
$100 to $1,000 per point of abilities. see Talent, p. 89 due to darkness, provided there is at
Cost per slot: 5 points base + 3 points least some light.
per point of abilities. Neutralize 21 Example: Night Vision 4 would
Super-Memorization: You gain new 50 points completely eliminate darkness penal-
abilities through rapid study. This You can neutralize the psi powers ties up to -4, and would reduce a
takes a second per character point. of a single psionic individual. This is penalty of -7 to only -3.
You can “forget” a memorized ability an active ability with an ongoing effect
instantly. You can only memorize abil- on the subject. It does not have to be Regardless of level, Night Vision
ities if you have a suitable reference psionic – it might represent a magical only works in partial darkness. It has
work (book, film, tape, etc.). The GM or high-tech way to drain psi abilities. no effect on the -10 for total darkness
(for that, get Dark Vision, p. 47).




ADVANTAGES 71

Obscure 31 requires at least an hour, but if the GM Patrons 4
has something in particular he wants
2 points/level Variable
to communicate, he may arbitrarily
You produce an effect that actively put it in your path. The GM rolls A “Patron” is an NPC – or even an
“jams” one particular sense, making it twice, in secret, when you use this entire organization – that serves as
difficult to detect you and everything ability: once to determine whether you your advisor, employer, mentor, or
in your vicinity. You must specify the discover the omen, once to see if you protector. An employer must be excep-
affected sense. This can be one of the interpret it correctly. tional to qualify as a Patron, though; a
five human senses or a sensory advan- Patron is much more than an ordinary
tage such as Infravision, Radar, or one Discovery: To detect an omen boss!
particular Detect. Examples include requires a Sense roll. On a success, Power
Obscure (Vision) for fog, Obscure you discover the omen; on a critical The base point cost of a Patron
(Hearing) for white noise, and Obscure success, you get +5 on the subsequent depends on its power. Use the cate-
(Radar) for electronic jamming. interpretation roll. On a failure, you gories below as a guide, but note that
Obscure affects a two-yard radius find nothing of oracular significance. some Patrons won’t fit neatly into any
centered on you. Add the Area Effect On a critical failure, the GM lies – he of them. The GM’s word is final.
enhancement (p. 102) to increase this tells you that you have found an omen,
radius. The affected sense is at -1 per but this is, in reality, a product of your
level of Obscure to detect anything own fears or wishes.
within your radius. Ten levels will
block the sense completely. The
boundaries of the zone are easily You can move your consciousness from body
detected by the affected sense,
however; roll at +1 per level. to body. In theory, you could live forever this
Special Enhancements way . . . however, you cannot survive outside a
Defensive: You are unaffected by living host.
your own Obscure ability. +50%.
Extended: Each related sense
(Infravision as well as normal vision,
Sonar as well as normal hearing, etc.) Interpretation: To interpret an omen
blocked beyond the first is +20%. requires an IQ roll. On a success, the A powerful individual (usually built
Ranged: You produce your obscur- omen is very general; e.g., “an enemy on at least 150% of the PC’s starting
ing effect at a distant point rather than approaches” or “a great power, long points) or a fairly powerful organiza-
around your body. This is a ranged dormant, is stirring.” On a critical suc- tion (assets of at least 1,000 times
starting wealth for the world). 10
attack with 1/2D –, Max 100, Acc 3, cess, the information is more specific: points.
RoF 1, Shots N/A, and Recoil 1. “you risk the wrath of the king,” “seek
Duration is 10 seconds. You can apply out the mage in the tower,” etc. On a An extremely powerful individual
other modifiers to change these statis- failure, the omen is simply too vague (built on at least twice the PC’s starting
tics. Unlike the usual Ranged to be useful. On a critical failure, you points) or a powerful organization
enhancement (p. 107), this modifier blatantly misinterpret the omen – pos- (assets of at least 10,000 times starting
lets you use your ability again before sibly in a dangerous manner. wealth). Examples: a limited manifes-
its duration has expired (e.g., to simu- tation of a minor god, a billionaire, or
a big-city police department. 15
late multiple smoke grenades); thus, it This ability differs from points.
is more expensive. +50%. Precognition (p. 77), which requires
Stealthy: Your ability works invisi- no interpretation. An ultra-powerful individual (built
bly, like a magical zone of silence. on as many points as the GM wants!)
There is no bonus to detect the bound- Outdoorsman or a very powerful organization
aries of your area of effect. +100%. see Talent, p. 89 (assets of at least 100,000 times start-
ing wealth). Examples: a super, a lim-
Special Limitations ited manifestation of a major god, or a
Always On: You cannot turn this Parabolic Hearing 31 big city. 20 points.
ability off. -50%. 4 points/level An extremely powerful organiza-
You can “zoom in” on a particular tion (assets of at least 1 million times
Oracle 25 sound or area, and can filter out back- starting wealth). Examples: a large
15 points ground noise from sounds of interest corporation or a very small nation. 25
You are sensitive to omens, and see to you. Each level of Parabolic points.
hidden significance in such things as Hearing doubles the distance at which A national government or giant
the way plants grow, the behavior of you can clearly hear any given sound multinational organization (net worth
animals, and even changes in the (see Hearing, p. 358). basically incalculable), or a true god
weather and the sky. Once per day, you who appears personally to intervene
may check the omens. This normally on your behalf. 30 points.



72 ADVANTAGES

Note that the base cost to have a Drawbacks of Patrons your own purposes, and that you
deity as a Patron is comparable to that If your Patron is an army, corpora- would otherwise have to buy. This
for a powerful mundane Patron, but tion, feudal lord, etc., you may owe it a enhancement only applies if the
divine power requires the Special Duty (p. 133). A god or similar Patron equipment is yours once given. A sol-
Abilities enhancement (see below), may require a stringent code of behav- dier with a military Patron would not
which will greatly increase the final ior in return for its aid; see Self- pay extra for his weapons, since when
cost of a divine Patron! Imposed Mental Disadvantages (p. 121). he goes off duty, he can’t take them
Frequency of Appearance A Patron might also have powerful foes along. An adventurer in the employ of
Choose a frequency of appearance, that are now your foes; this can give a generous noble who hands out use-
as explained under Frequency of you an Enemy (p. 135). Such factors ful “gifts” would pay extra. +50% if the
Appearance (p. 36). If the GM deter- can cut the effective cost of a Patron equipment is worth no more than the
mines that your Patron appears at the significantly, and turn it from a benefit average starting wealth in the cam-
start of an adventure, he may design to a considerable liability! paign, or +100% if it is worth more
the adventure to include an assign- Employers and Patrons than that.
ment or aid from the Patron. He may Not every employer is a Patron. If Highly Accessible: You can attempt
also choose to leave out your Patron, if you can depend on your employer to to contact your Patron at any time –
its appearance would make no sense get you out of trouble (at least some- even when you are locked in a dun-
or disrupt the adventure. times), it might really be a Patron. geon, lost in the desert, etc. This is
However, if the GM determined Otherwise, it’s just a job. For example, most appropriate if your Patron is a
that your Patron could have appeared, a small police department is a 10- spirit, a god you can petition via
and you try to contact your Patron point Patron if, as most do, it takes prayer, etc. +50%.
during the adventure (for help, advice, care of its own. But the U.S. Army, Special Abilities: Your Patron
etc.), then the contact is likely to be though powerful, is not a likely Patron wields power out of proportion to its
successful and you may receive aid. – at least for an ordinary trooper. You wealth or point value. +50% if your
(Within reason – if you’re locked in a could say, “The Colonel takes care of Patron has extensive social or political
dungeon without any means of com- his men.” But you could just as easily power (e.g., the Governor of New York
munication, you won’t be contacting say, “I’m on my own if I get in trou- or the Pope), or +100% if your Patron
anybody.) You will not know whether ble,” and play a soldier who does not has magical powers in a nonmagical
your Patron is “available” on a given have a Patron. world, possesses equipment from a TL
adventure until you attempt to request Examples of Patrons greater than yours, grants you special
aid. As a rule, you should only be able • A powerful wizard as Patron to powers, or has unusual reach in time
to reach your Patron for help once per warriors (or young wizards) whom he or space (e.g., a super, spirit, or god).
adventure. sends to find magical items or slay Special Limitations
Remember that a powerful Patron foes. Minimal Intervention: Your Patron
could be helpful without actually • A crime lord as Patron to free- is less useful than its power level
intervening! A Chicago hood who can lance thieves or assassins. would suggest. On a successful
say, “I’m from Big Eddie,” or a crime- • A minor deity as Patron to a trav- appearance roll, the GM makes a reac-
fighter who can flash a Q-clearance eling Righter of Wrongs. tion roll for your Patron to determine
card, may carry some extra weight in • A local police department as whether it actually provides aid; see
a tough spot. Requests for Aid (p. 562). On a Neutral
Patron to a private detective. (They
Party Patrons might find him annoying at times, but or better reaction, you receive the aid
Often, several PCs – perhaps the he helps them out, and vice versa.) your Patron thinks you need – which
entire party – share a Patron (they are • A local ruler (in any world) as may or may not be what you want.
all agents of the same government, Patron to an adventurer. This is the classic modifier for gods
servants of the same cult, etc.). No • A large company as Patron to a who have many other minions to aid,
matter how many characters share a troubleshooter or spy. and frequently accompanies the Pact
Patron, the cost is not shared; each • A super-crimefighter or politician limitation (see p. 113). -50%.
character must pay full price for the as Patron to a news reporter. Secret: Your Patron works behind
Patron. On the other hand, the GM • Any intelligence organization as the scenes. You do not know who it is
will make an appearance roll for each occasional Patron to a freelance oper- and you cannot request aid directly.
character at the start of each adven- ative, or full-time Patron to its own You might be able to call for help in
ture – and if the Patron appears for agents. (The difference between this such a way that the Patron gets the
any of them, then it is usually avail- and ordinary jobs is that you can’t message (GM’s decision), but there is
able for all of them. The GM should quit . . .) no guarantee that the Patron will take
scale the quality and quantity of the action. The only evidence of this kind
aid provided in proportion to the You can apply the following modi- of Patron is minor incidents and
number of successful appearance fiers after multiplying for frequency of “lucky breaks.” This may take the form
rolls. appearance. of information, equipment, or even
Special Enhancements direct aid . . . but only when it suits the
Equipment: Your Patron supplies Patron, and always in an untraceable
useful equipment that you can use for way. A Patron like this often regards its

ADVANTAGES 73

aid as an investment on which it
expects some return; therefore, it
might not have your best interests at
heart! Only the GM knows any of these
details. You know nothing other than
the fact that you have a Patron. -50%.
Unwilling: You obtained your
Patron through coercion (e.g., black-
mail). It provides aid only because
there is no other choice, and it defi-
nitely does not have your best interests
at heart! You will eventually make one
request too many (GM’s judgment –
perhaps if the appearance roll comes
up 18) and lose the Patron: remove the
Patron from your character sheet and
lower your point value accordingly.
Since a Patron is by definition more
powerful than you are, taking an
Unwilling Patron is risky. If the Patron
can find a way to break your “hold,” it Special Limitations
will, and may well become an Treat your Payload as part of your Blockable: Some substance com-
Enemy! -50%.
body, not as encumbrance or carried pletely blocks your vision. Common
Payload 31 weight, when calculating Move and substances, such as plastic, stone, or
using advantages with limited carry-
wood, are -30%; less common materi-
1 point/level ing capacity, such as Invisibility, als, such as brick or asphalt, are -20%;
You can carry cargo or occupants Jumper, and Warp. one specific material, such as lead,
inside your body! This might be a Machines that can push or pull is -10%.
superficial feature (e.g., a surgically large external loads – or pick them up Specific: Your ability only works
implanted “flesh pocket” or a natural and carry them with arms, cranes, etc. through one particular substance.
pouch like that of a kangaroo) or an – have Lifting ST (p. 65), not Payload. Common materials, such as brick,
actual internal compartment. The lat- Ordinary cars and trucks have metal, or wood, are -40%; uncommon
ter is not just for machines – a zombie Payload, but forklifts, tugboats, and materials, such as ice or adobe,
might have a colony of spiders or the like should buy Lifting ST to rep- are -60%; absurd materials, such as
snakes living in its body, for example. resent their abilities. chocolate or silk, are -80%.
Each level of Payload lets you carry Special Limitations
up to Basic Lift/10 lbs. inside you. Perfect Balance 3
Those without Injury Tolerance Exposed: Your Payload cannot be 15 points
(Homogenous) (p. 60) or the Machine concealed and is not protected by your You can always keep your footing,
meta-trait (p. 263) should ask the defensive advantages. You can apply no matter how narrow the walking
GM’s permission before taking more this to any portion of your Payload. surface, under normal conditions.
than five levels of Payload. You must The main use of this limitation is to This lets you walk along a tightrope,
allocate your Payload between cargo create motorcycles and similar unen- ledge, tree limb, or other anchored
and occupants when you buy the closed vehicles. -50%. surface without having to make a die
advantage: Penetrating Vision 31 roll. If the surface is wet, slippery, or
Cargo: 20 lbs. of cargo space is 10 points/level unstable, you get +6 on all rolls to keep
roughly equal to one cubic foot of Penetrating Vision (sometimes your feet. In combat, you get +4 to DX
capacity. A typical car has about 10-20 called “X-ray vision”) lets you see and DX-based skill rolls to keep your
cubic feet of storage space; a semi- through solid objects. Each level of feet or avoid being knocked down.
trailer has about 2,400 cf. this advantage allows you to see Finally, you get +1 to Acrobatics,
Occupants: A human-sized being through up to six inches of normal Climbing, and Piloting skills.
requires about 200 lbs. of capacity. For matter. You can just barely see the
others, take average racial weight and outline of the substance you are look- Peripheral Vision 3
increase it by 1/3. An actual cabin ing through – not enough to impair 15 points
requires 10 times that weight. Your vision in any way. Penetrating Vision You have an unusually wide field of
defensive advantages (DR, Sealed, automatically works in conjunction vision. You can see a 180° arc in front
etc.) also protect your occupants. If with all your other vision advantages of you without turning your head, and
your occupants can control you, buy (Infravision, Ultravision, etc.). have 30° of peripheral vision to either
Controls separately – see Compart - side of that. This gives you a 240° “arc
mentalized Mind (p. 43). of vision” for observation and ranged



74 ADVANTAGES

attacks. The figure above shows the “Common” substance, but since walls use your Influence skills (see p. 359)
arc of vision for a normal character of paper are uncommon, it is treated on such entities, which will usually
(white) and for someone with as “Rare” for the purpose of ensure a positive reaction.
Peripheral Vision (gray plus white). Permeation. This ability frequently accompa-
If you are playing with a battle nies some level of Green Thumb (see
map, you can make melee attacks into Very Common: Earth (including Talent, p. 89) and often Sense of Duty
“side” (“right” and “left”) hexes as well clay, mud, and sand), metal, stone (Plants) or Vow (Use plant material
as “front” hexes – although a one- (including brick, concrete, and plas- only if gathered without severe injury
handed attack to the opposite side ter), wood, and other ubiquitous to the plant).
(e.g., attacking your left hex with your structural materials. 40 points.
right hand) is clumsy and considered Common: Concrete, plastic, steel, Police Rank
a Wild Swing (see p. 388). You still and other specific, common structural see Rank, p. 29
cannot attack a foe directly behind materials. 20 points.
you except with a Wild Swing. Occasional: Glass, ice (including Possession 21
This also helps on defense! If you snow), sand, and anything else that a 100 points
are attacked from a “side” hex, you normal person could eventually break
defend at no penalty. Even against or tunnel through using muscle You can move your consciousness
attacks from the rear, your active power, as well as somewhat unusual from body to body. In theory, you
defense is only at -2. structural materials, such as alu- could live forever this way, moving
Out of combat, you get +3 to all minum and copper. 10 points. from dying bodies to healthy ones.
rolls to detect Shadowing attempts or Rare: Bone, flesh, paper, and other However, you cannot survive outside a
ambushes from behind, and the GM materials rarely encountered in large living host. Should your current body
will always make a Vision roll for you quantities or as barriers. 5 points. die, you will die! Thus, you must keep
to spot dangers “behind your back.” Special Enhancements your current host alive . . . at least
Can Carry Objects: Normally, you until you can find a replacement.
Special Limitations To possess a new host, you must
Easy to Hit: Your eyes are on stalks, cannot carry anything while moving concentrate for one second and physi-
unusually large, or otherwise more through matter. This enhancement cally touch him. Attempts to possess
vulnerable to attack. Others can target lets you carry objects, including cloth- your own Puppet (p. 78) succeed auto-
your eyes from within their arc of ing and armor. If dropped, they “pop” matically. In all other cases, roll a
vision at only -6 to hit. -20%. into open space at the point where you Quick Contest: your IQ vs. the sub-
entered the material. You cannot leave
Permeation 31 things inside solid matter! No encum- ject’s Will. Your victim resists at +5 if
he is in combat with you or otherwise
brance is +10%; Light, +20%;
Variable wary of you, so it is best to be subtle.
Medium, +50%; Heavy, +100%.
You can move through a particular Tunnel: You can leave a tunnel (of If you lose or tie, you are mentally
solid material as if it didn’t exist. You about your size) behind you, if you stunned for 1d seconds. In addition,
do not open a passage behind you; choose. This rearranges the object you you may never attempt to possess that
observers just see you “melt” into the are moving though without inflicting subject again – he is “immune” to you.
surface and disappear. You need damage, and does not work at all on If you win, you take over your vic-
Penetrating Vision (p. 74) to see where living targets. For an ability that can tim’s body, completely suppressing his
you’re going. You must still breathe rip holes in objects and people, see personality. Your previous host regains
(unless you have Doesn’t Breathe), Innate Attack (p. 61). +40%. control of his body (if sentient) after 1d
which limits trips to the length of time seconds of mental stun, and “comes
you can hold your breath (see Holding Photographic Memory to” with no memory of the possession.
Your Breath, p. 351). see Eidetic Memory, p. 51 You gain your new host’s ST, DX,
Permeation differs from Insub - and HT (and secondary characteris-
stantiality. You are affected by gravity, Pitiable tics calculated from these scores), as
and you are limited to normal move- well as his physical advantages and
ment; if you lack Flight or another see p. 22 disadvantages. You keep your own IQ,
movement advantage, you must walk Perception, and Will, and all of your
at your Basic Move. Furthermore, you Plant Empathy 2 mental traits. Your social traits may
can be affected by any attack that can 5 points apply, depending on the laws and val-
reach you within a solid object. You You have an unusual rapport with ues of your society.
also remain vulnerable to attacks with growing things. On encountering a Skills are a special case. Your IQ-,
the material you can pass through, plant, the GM will roll against your IQ. Perception-, and Will-based skills are
unless you purchase Damage On a success, he will give you a gener- unchanged. Other skills remain at the
Resistance to such attacks. al sense of its health and whether it is same relative skill level. For instance, if
Cost depends on how often you are natural or supernatural in origin. you have Acrobatics at DX+3, then
likely to encounter the material you Furthermore, this advantage func- you would have Acrobatics-12 in a DX
can permeate in the form of a barrier. tions as Empathy (p. 51) with respect 9 body and Acrobatics-14 in a DX 11
For instance, paper might be a to sentient plants, and allows you to body.



ADVANTAGES 75

If you occupy a sentient host, you Telecontrol: You remotely control implant, telepresence, or similar tech-
have sufficient access to his memories your new host as if he were a puppet, nology. -40%.
for the first few hours of the takeover leaving your original body in a trance. No Memory Access: You have no
to learn his name and daily routine, You may choose to return to your access to your host’s memories. -10%.
but not enough to learn IQ-based body at any time, and must do so if Parasitic: You enter your host’s
skills. To recall a specific fact from the your host falls unconscious or dies body physically. You must have
host’s memories, you must roll vs. IQ, (but not if he sleeps). As a result, you Permeation (Flesh) (p. 75) to do this,
at -1 per hour since the takeover. Only do not die if your host dies. +50%. unless your host has sufficient
one attempt is allowed for any given Payload (p. 74) to contain you – and
memory! your victim must have a higher Size
Modifier than you. After entering your
victim’s body, you may attempt to pos-
Precognition: You cannot control the content sess him. He resists with the higher of
HT or Will. You aren’t forced out if you
of these flashes – you just know that lose, but he is “immune” to you, so
something interesting or important might you need to find another host soon.
happen, at some unspecified future date. While you are in someone else’s body,
he (if he is still uncontrolled) or his
friends might be able to use techno-
logical means to detect you – and pos-
If you occupy a host for a long Special Limitations sibly remove you. Attacks that pene-
time, or hop between multiple bodies, trate or ignore your host’s DR can
the GM is free to adjust your point Digital: This limitation is only avail- injure you, but his HP act as extra DR
value to reflect the most expensive able to Digital Minds (p. 48). You take for this purpose. If you are microbial,
body you regularly occupy. For more over computers, not living bodies. The you should purchase Injury Tolerance
on this subject, see Chapter 9. target system must be connected to (Diffuse) (p. 60), which will protect
your current host computer via a net- you. The host nourishes you, and may
With suitable modifiers, Posses - work, and you must have complete have to eat extra food as a result. You
sion can represent diverse abilities access to it – voluntary or otherwise can choose to leave at any time, the
seen in speculative fiction. Note that (see Computer Hacking, p. 184). The tar- same way you entered. You may also
the Digital, Magical, Parasitic, get computer’s hardware must be com- temporarily release your host while
Spiritual, and Telepathic limitations plex enough to run your computer pro- continuing occupation. If you do, you
are mutually exclusive. gram; in general, its Complexity must will have to win a new Quick Contest
be at least half your IQ (round up). You
Special Enhancements to regain control. -60%.
Assimilation: When you enter a can also take over a computer using a Puppet Only: You may possess your
new body, you may choose to “forget” copy of yourself while leaving the origi- own Puppets automatically, but you
any of your current skills and use the nal intact! However, unless you have the cannot possess anyone else. -30%.
points this frees up – and any unspent Digital version of Duplication (p. 50), Spiritual: You must have the Spirit
points – to learn ST-, DX-, or HT-based any system you take over this way meta-trait (p. 263) to take this limita-
skills known by the host, at up to becomes an independent NPC that tion. Your spirit body merges with
(host’s level)-1. For instance, if you do thinks it is you. This can be good or bad and occupies the body of your host. It
not know Acrobatics, but your host – the duplicate could become any type remains insubstantial during the pos-
knows it at DX+3, you can pick it up at of Associated NPC (see p. 31). -40%. session, traveling inside the host but
DX+2 . . . if you have enough points. Magical: Your advantage is an otherwise inaccessible to you and
Skills forgotten in order to learn new innate magic talent. If the subject is effectively mindless. It can be injured
skills are gone. Skills learned from protected by a spell that repels hostile as detailed under Parasitic, but only
your host will move from body to body magic, you must win a Quick Contest by attacks that affect insubstantial
with you. +10%. of your IQ vs. that spell before you can things. A genuine exorcist can cast
Chronic: When you exit a host, you make a possession attempt. If your you out by winning a Quick Contest
can leave a “back door” that lets you victim has Magic Resistance, it sub- of his exorcism ability vs. your Will.
possess him again without a Quick tracts from your IQ and adds to his You cannot return to a body you have
Contest. This lets you buy your former Will during the actual possession been cast out of for at least 24 hours.
host as a Puppet. You can only use attempt. -10%. You may choose to release your host
this enhancement if you have enough Mindlink Required: You can only at any time. If you are exorcised or
unspent points to buy a Puppet at the possess someone with whom you have leave voluntarily, the host recovers
time you leave your host. +20%. a Mindlink. If the link is ever jammed, after 1d seconds of mental stun. -20%.
Mind Swap: Your host’s mind out of range, etc., the possession ends. Telepathic: Your ability is part of the
moves into your previous body instead If the Mindlink has the Telecom - Telepathy psi power (see p. 257). -10%.
of being suppressed – in effect, you munication limitation, Mindlink
“trade places.” +10%. Required can represent control via an




76 ADVANTAGES

Power Investiture 25 (such as virginity), your Power affect you in some way. Similarly, seeing
Investiture may be diminished or lost, a picture of a place could set off a vision
10 points/level
reducing your point value accordingly. involving that location.
A deity – god, demon lord, great You can have both Magery and A deliberate attempt to use
spirit, cosmic power, etc. – has Power Investiture (unless your deity Precognition requires 10 minutes of
empowered you to cast “clerical” forbids this), but Magery does not concentration, 2 FP, and an IQ roll
spells. Add your Power Investiture to improve clerical spells and Power at -8. You can attempt to read your own
your IQ when you learn spells granted Investiture does not aid magical future, or that of another person. To
by the deity who bestowed this advan- spells. The clerical and magical ver- deliberately read the future of someone
tage. For instance, IQ 12 and Power sions of a given spell are entirely differ- else, you must be able to touch him.
Investiture 2 (Thor) would let you ent spells, and clerical spells never Precognition is normally limited to
learn spells granted by the god Thor count as prerequisites for magical “seeing” into the near future – perhaps
(and only Thor) as if you had IQ 14. spells. If you know both versions of a a week or so. At the GM’s option, how-
You may only learn clerical spells spell, they do not affect one another. ever, a critical success or a very impor-
from a fixed list set by your deity, who Power Investiture is one possible tant event might result in visions from
may even dictate which specific spells way to handle “holy powers.” It is much further in the future.
you learn. The GM determines this list most appropriate in settings where Note that Precognition includes
and takes on the role of your deity when priests are divinely inspired wizards. Danger Sense (p. 47) – do not take
you wish to learn new spells. However, For other views of divine gifts, see both.
because you are channeling divine will Blessed (p. 40) and True Faith (p. 94).
as opposed to studying magic, clerical Special Limitations
spells do not have prerequisites. Precognition 25 Can’t See Own Death: Your
In general, the more Power 25 points Precognition cannot detect people or
Investiture you have, the “holier” you events that the GM believes have a
are. The maximum level of Power You receive glimpses of future high probability of causing your
Investiture depends on your deity, as events. You cannot control the content death. Your ability does not include
determined by the GM. Minor deities of these flashes – you just know that Danger Sense. -60%.
who have a limited ability to transfer something interesting or important ESP: Your ability is part of the ESP
power to their chosen, or a small might happen, at some unspecified psi power (see p. 255). -10%.
range of possible spell effects, might future date. You might learn this One Event: Your ability works only
grant only one level, while major through visions, voices, or “sudden for a particular type of event: events
deities might be more generous. knowledge.” A vivid premonition of a involving you personally (if you
Note that Power Investiture is a terrible event might even require a scanned another, you would only see a
measure of your bond with your deity, Fright Check (p. 360)! significant event if you were involved);
while Clerical Investment (p. 43) and Precognition only gives informa- disasters; events related to death;
Religious Rank (p. 30) measure social tion that your “future self” could learn events related to love, etc. This limita-
power. These need not be related. and that would matter to you. For tion is mutually exclusive with Can’t
Power Investiture might be restricted to instance, if you’re in New York, you See Own Death. -40%.
high-ranking clerics . . . but a deity can are unlikely to have a premonition
grant power to anyone it wants (possi- about a random murder in Los Pressure Support 31
bly to the chagrin of the church!). Angeles. But if the victim was a friend, 5 to 15 points
In some cases, you can add or or if the killing was important enough Every character has a “native pres-
increase Power Investiture in play. to make national news, you might sure.” For ordinary humans, this is the
What this entails depends on the deity. “flash” on it. pressure of Earth’s atmosphere (“1
To gain, keep, or improve Power Nothing about the future is cer- atmosphere”). A native pressure other
Investiture, you nearly always have to tain, though. Even if the GM has than 1 atmosphere is a 0-point feature,
take and adhere to one or more of the made up his mind, he could reconsid- but if you can survive for a prolonged
traits listed under Self-Imposed Mental er . . . although something related to period of time at a wide range of pres-
Disadvantages (p. 121). If you break the premonition should still happen. sures, you have an advantage. This
these vows, you will lose some or all of In most settings, predicted events will trait comes in three levels:
your powers – perhaps until you have occur unless you take specific action
made proper penance, perhaps perma- to prevent them. (But the GM is free Pressure Support 1: You can survive
nently. In effect, Power Investiture to rule that the future is immutable in at pressures between your native pres-
comes with a built-in Pact limitation his setting!) sure and 10 times that. (This would
(see p. 113); do not apply this modifier Whenever the GM feels a premoni- enable a human to survive on most of
again. tion would be appropriate, he will Earth’s continental shelves.) 5 points.
You may also need to meet certain secretly make an IQ roll for you – usu- Pressure Support 2: You can with-
physical requirements. Some deities ally during an encounter with a person stand pressures between your native
only empower men, women, eunuchs, or object. For instance, meeting some- pressure and 100 times that. (This
virgins . . . the GM should be creative. one with an important event in his would enable a human to survive any-
Should you lose a special requirement future might set off a premonition relat- where in Earth’s oceans, save the
ed to that event, especially if it would deepest trenches.) 10 points.


ADVANTAGES 77

Pressure Support 3: You are usual; see Area Effect (p. 102). Puppet 21
immune to the effects of high pressure. +50%/level. 5 or 10 points
15 points. Switchable: You can switch this
advantage off in order to allow friend- Prerequisites: Possession and either
Pressure Support lets your body ly psis to affect you or operate within Ally or Dependent.
stay at a constant internal pressure your area of effect. +100%.
with respect to a constant and uni- A Puppet is an Ally (p. 36) or
form external pressure. This protects Special Limitations Dependent (p. 131) who cannot resist
against attacks that manipulate ambi- Resistible: Your ability is not your Possession advantage (p. 75).
ent pressure or crush the entire body, absolute. A psi can “burn” through When you use Possession on him, you
but provides no defense against local- your static and affect those protected succeed automatically! This may be
ized or transient pressure changes. In by it by winning a Quick Contest of due to his nature or some special
particular, Pressure Support does not Will with you. If the attacking psi abil- knowledge you have: a curse, his true
reduce or prevent damage from crush- ity already requires a Quick Contest, name, the key to his mind, etc.
ing attacks or explosions of any kind. the attacker rolls only once but the tar- A Puppet will always have IQ 0, or
Those with Pressure Support often get gets +5 to resist. -50%. owe you a Duty (p. 133), or be
have the Sealed advantage (p. 82), but Reprogrammable (p. 150). If he has a
this is not required. Psychometry 25 Duty, it must be Involuntary, and its
20 points frequency must be identical to the
Protected Sense 31 You can sense the history of a place Puppet’s own frequency of appearance
5 points/sense or inanimate object – its use, its user’s as an Ally or Dependent.
Each Puppet costs 5 points. You
One of your ranged senses is pro- personality, etc. This is usually a can buy an entire group of related
tected against overload. It rapidly supernatural gift of some sort (such as Allies as Puppets for 10 points. These
adapts to the most intense of stimuli, psi), but it could also represent a tech- costs are for the Puppet advantage
allowing you to function normally nological “time-scanning” power that only; you must pay for your Ally or
after a maximum of two seconds of can see the past. Dependent separately. It is common
impairment. You will never suffer per- To use Psychometry, you must but not mandatory for such Allies to
manent damage to that sense as a touch the subject item or location, have the Minion enhancement or the
result of excessive sensory input, and concentrate for one second, and make Unwilling limitation.
you get +5 to rolls to resist temporary an IQ roll. This roll is at no penalty for
damage and Sense-Based attacks tar- an event that occurred the same Racial Memory 21
geting that sense. day, -1 for one that occurred up to 10 15 or 40 points
Protected Senses cost 5 points days ago, -2 if up to 100 days ago, -3 if
apiece. Protected Vision resists glare up to 3 years ago, -4 if up to 30 years You have access to the memories of
and eye damage from lasers, and lets ago, -5 if up to 300 years ago, and so your direct ancestors (or earlier soft-
Dark Vision, Infravision, and Night on. At the GM’s option, you might ware generations, for Digital Minds).
Vision adjust instantly from bright notice very strong “vibes” on an IQ-4 This ability comes in two forms:
light to darkness. Protected Hearing roll, even if you aren’t concentrating. Racial Memory (Passive): Your tal-
protects against loud noises. Protected On a success, you receive the gen- ent is vague and totally passive. The
Taste/Smell filters out strong odors eral sense of emotions and events tied GM secretly makes an IQ roll for you
and tastes (but not toxins). The GM to the object or place . . . if it is linked in any situation that your ancestors
may permit other Protected Senses to emotionally charged events (an might have encountered. On a suc-
(Detect, Scanning Sense, etc.), with uneventful history might leave no cess, you get a feeling of déjà vu about
suitable justification. impressions at all). This is not always the situation. It is up to you to inter-
a good thing – a terrifying impression pret this. A critical success gives a
Psi Static 25 might require a Fright Check (p. 360)! vivid replay of ancient ancestral mem-
30 points On a critical success, you experience ories. On a failure, nothing happens. A
an actual vision. No matter how well
You are a psionic “null.” Psionic critical failure results in a wrong
abilities cannot directly affect you or you roll, you cannot detect magic, impression. 15 points.
anything you are carrying or wearing. spirits, etc. Still, a magic item, ghostly Racial Memory (Active): You may
For instance, a telekinetic could throw haunt, or ritual site is likely to have an use this advantage actively. If you want
a rock at you, but he could not levitate emotionally charged history, giving to know something, the GM first
you or grab a sword from your hand. strong impressions. determines whether or not your
On a failure, you receive no ancestors knew the answer. Then he
Special Enhancements impressions at all, and cannot attempt rolls against your IQ to see if you can
Area Effect: You emit static in an to read that object or place again for gain access to the information. If your
area centered on you. The first level of 24 hours. ancestors didn’t have the answer and
Area Effect extends your static to Special Limitations the roll succeeds, you will know that.
everything within one yard. Each level On a critical failure, you will believe
after the first doubles this radius as ESP: Your ability is part of the ESP
psi power (see p. 255). -10%. your ancestors didn’t know, even if




78 ADVANTAGES

they really did. This requires one turn of absolute concentration (the GM
may require more elaborate preparations to recall very ancient memories).
40 points.
Radiation Tolerance 31
Variable
Your cells or circuits are resistant to radiation. The cost
of this advantage depends on the divisor of the effective dose
of radiation you receive – after dividing by the Protection
Factor (PF) of artificial protection such as armor.
Divisor Cost
2 5 points
5 10 points
10 15 points
20 20 points
50 25 points
100 30 points
200 35 points
500 40 points
1,000 45 points
Rank
see p. 29

Rapid Healing 3
5 or 15 points
Your wounds heal quickly. This trait comes in two levels:
Rapid Healing: Whenever you roll to recover lost HP or to see if you
can get over a crippling injury, you get +5 to your effective HT.
Prerequisite: HT 10+. 5 points.
Very Rapid Healing: As above, but when you roll to recover lost HP, a
successful HT roll means you heal two HP, not one. Prerequisite: HT 12+.
15 points.
Note that this advantage does not hasten recovery from the
short-term effects of injury, such as stunning and knockout; get
Recovery (p. 80) for that.

Rapier Wit 2
5 points
You can use witty repartee to stun your foes in combat. This does
not require a combat maneuver – talking is a free action (p. 363). Roll
a Quick Contest of Public Speaking skill vs. your opponent’s Will.
Modifiers: -2 if your target has the Clueless or No Sense of
Humor disadvantage; any modifier the GM assigns based on
your description of the verbal attack; -1 per opponent beyond
the first to affect a group (and you must know something the
entire group has in common; e.g., they’re all flunkies of the
same household or members of the same military unit).
Opponents with the Unfazeable advantage (p. 95) are
immune to Rapier Wit.
If you win, your opponent is mentally stunned (see
p. 420). A critical success causes one HP of physical damage
as well – your victim injures himself accidentally (drops
something on his foot, chokes on his own tongue, etc.). If you
lose, there is no effect. On a critical failure, you enrage your
opponent, possibly triggering such disadvantages as Berserk
and Bloodlust!
This advantage is usually only appropriate in a silly campaign!


ADVANTAGES 79

Reawakened 25 blue-green meat, and drink dishwater Regrowth 31
and sour milk. Instead of reducing
10 points 40 points
how often you must eat, reduce your
You can “remember” skills (spells, demands on life support (and your You can regrow lost limbs and
techniques, etc.) learned during previ- food costs) by a like amount: to 2/3 organs! A lost ear, finger, toe, claw, ten-
ous lives. You must purchase these normal at level 1, 1/3 normal at level 2, tacle tip, etc. regrows in 1d weeks; a
abilities normally; Reawakened is just 5% normal at level 3, and 1% normal lost hand or foot in 1d+1 months; and
a special Unusual Background (p. 96) at level 4. You get a bonus equal to a lost eye, arm, or leg in 2d+2 months.
that explains how you learned them your level (+1 to +4) to resist the If you also have Regeneration (above),
without a teacher. This trait is only effects of food-borne poisons or dis- Regrowth works much faster: all lost
available if reincarnation is a fact in eases not tailored expressly for you, body parts regrow in the time it takes
the setting (GM’s decision). you to heal to full HP.
but -3 on reactions from anyone
Recovery 31 watching you eat! -50%. Special Limitations
Food Only: You require less food, Minor: You can only regrow ears,
10 points but the usual amount of water. -50%. fingers, toes, and other small bits – not
You recover from unconsciousness Water Only: You require less water, hands, feet, eyes, etc. -50%.
very quickly. When determining the but the usual amount of food. -50%.
length of time you remain uncon- Religious Rank
scious for any reason, divide all times Regeneration 31 see Rank, p. 29
by 60: hours become minutes, min- Variable
utes become seconds . . . even a Your wounds heal in mere hours, Reputation
month-long coma becomes a mere 12- minutes, or seconds! To regenerate
hour sleep. see p. 26
lost limbs, you will also need A positive Reputation is an advan-
Reduced Consumption Regrowth (below) – but Regeneration tage and should be noted as such on
will greatly accelerate that ability.
3 Regeneration includes Rapid Healing your character sheet.
2 points/level (p. 79) at no extra cost. Resistant 3
You can go for a long time without You cannot have Regeneration if Variable
food and water, or fuel – although you you have Slow Healing (p. 155) or You are naturally resistant (or even
still require these things. (For indefi- Unhealing (p. 160). Regeneration is immune) to noxious items or sub-
nite endurance, see Doesn’t Eat or compatible with Draining (p. 132), but stances that are not direct, physical
Drink, p. 50.) This advantage comes in it does not restore the daily HP loss attacks. This gives you a bonus on all
four levels: due to that disadvantage. HT rolls to resist incapacitation or
The cost of this trait depends on
Reduced Consumption 1: You your regeneration speed: injury from such things.
require 2/3 as much food and water, The bonus from Resistant applies
or fuel, as usual (“two meals a day”). 2 Regeneration (Slow): You recover 1 to all rolls to resist noxious effects
points. HP every 12 hours, in addition to nor- within a particular category – usually
Reduced Consumption 2: You mal healing. 10 points. some combination of disease, poison,
require 1/3 as much food and water, Regeneration (Regular): You recov- and environmental syndromes (alti-
or fuel, as usual (“one meal a day”). 4 er 1 HP per hour. 25 points. tude sickness, the bends, space sick-
points. Regeneration (Fast): You recover 1 ness, etc.). It also applies to rolls to
Reduced Consumption 3: You HP per minute. 50 points. resist attacks that use these effects.
require food and water only once per Regeneration (Very Fast): You This includes Afflictions with one of
week (“one meal a week,” or about 5% recover 1 HP per second. 100 points. Blood Agent, Contact Agent, Follow-
as much). 6 points. Regeneration (Extreme): You recov- Up, or Respiratory Agent, and Innate
Reduced Consumption 4: You er 10 HP per second. 150 points. Attacks that have such modifiers and
require food and water only once per Special Enhancements inflict toxic or fatigue damage.
month (“one meal a month,” or about Heals Radiation: You shed accumu- Resistant does not protect against
1% as much). 8 points. lated rads at 10 times the rate at which effects that Damage Resistance or
Note that one or even two levels of you heal missing HP. For instance, Protected Sense either stop or provide
a HT bonus to resist. This includes
this advantage might be appropriate Regeneration (Regular) removes 10 Afflictions and Innate Attacks that do
for ascetics in cinematic games! rads per hour. This will heal “perma- not have any of the modifiers given
nent” radiation damage. +40%.
Special Limitations above.
Cast-Iron Stomach: You require the Special Limitations The base cost for Resistant
standard amount of food and water, Radiation Only: As Heals depends on the rarity of the effects it
but the quality is irrelevant. You Radiation, but you only shed rads – counteracts:
can eat rotten vegetables and fuzzy you do not heal HP. -60%.





80 ADVANTAGES

Very Common: A broad category (+3) [5]. Anything more would be Sense roll, you get a general idea of the
within the noxious items described superhuman. Golems, robots, undead, relative size of the object, and whether
above. Example: Metabolic Hazards and other beings that are not truly it is moving, but nothing more precise.
(all threats that only affect the living, “alive” must take Immunity to You cannot get an actual “image” with
including all disease and poison, plus Metabolic Hazards [30]; this is already Radar, or use it to aim attacks. Radar
such syndromes as altitude sickness, included in the Machine meta-trait works best on flying targets; roll at -4
bends, seasickness, and jet lag). 30 (p. 263). When in doubt, the GM’s to spot anyone who is not silhouetted
points. word is final. against the sky. Radar does not work
Common: A group of related items at all underwater. 20 points.
encountered as often in nature as in Mental Resistance: It is possible to Imaging Radar: Your Scanning
an attack, or some other suitably be Resistant to a purely mental threat. Sense uses millimeter-wave radar.
broad subset of “Very Common.” This works as described above, except Base range is 200 yards. You can spot
Example: Poison (all toxins, but not that the bonus applies to resistance small objects and determine their
asphyxiants or corrosives) or Sickness rolls against IQ and Will instead of shape, but you must make a Sense roll
(all diseases and environmental syn- HT. “Psionics” is an allowed category, to distinguish fine relief (e.g., to iden-
dromes). 15 points. and is considered Very Common. tify a face). Imaging Radar can see
Occasional: A group of closely Scanning Sense 31 through thin fabric or vegetation. You
related items more often encountered get +3 to locate objects like concealed
in nature than as a deliberate attack, Variable weapons, and may ignore penalties for
or a subset of a “Common” group. You can emit energy, bounce it off spotting objects hidden behind light
Examples: Disease (all bacteria, objects, and analyze the returned sig- brush. Ordinary radar detectors detect
viruses, fungus infections, etc.) or nal to build up a “picture” of your sur- Imaging Radar at -4. Imaging Radar
Ingested Poison. 10 points. roundings. This lets you discern size does not work underwater. 20 points.
Rare: A specific item or environ- and shape, but not color or fine detail Ladar: Your Scanning Sense uses a
mental syndrome, or a subset of an (such as writing). It has nothing to do laser beam. Base range is 200 yards.
“Occasional” group. Examples: Accel - with the normal human sense of sight, Ladar is very similar to Imaging
eration (blackouts due to extreme and requires no light. As a result, you Radar, but the beam is narrower and
G-forces), Altitude Sickness, Bends may ignore darkness penalties in com- offers better resolution. This gives -4
(decompression sickness), Seasick - bat. Perception is limited to a 120° arc on rolls to locate objects of interest,
ness, or Space Sickness; Nano - in front of you. but +4 on rolls to identify them. Only
machines. 5 points. specialized ladar detectors can detect
Ladar, and at -4 even then. Ladar can-
not penetrate dense smoke or solid
Resistant does not protect against effects that objects. It has 10-50% range in falling
rain or snow, and 1% range under -
Damage Resistance or Protected Sense either water. 20 points.
stop or provide a bonus to resist. Para-Radar: Your Scanning Sense
uses energy unknown to 21st-century
science. Treat Para-Radar as Imaging
Radar, except that it functions in any
Your sense is “active.” Anyone who environment! Ordinary radar detec-
Multiply base cost to reflect your can sense the signal you emit can tors cannot detect Para-Radar,
degree of resistance: detect you, out to twice your own although some ultra-tech sensors
range. Unlike other sensory advan- might be able to do so. 40 points.
You are totally immune to all tages, however, you can turn this abil-
noxious effects, and never have to ity off; see Turning Advantages Off and Sonar: Your Scanning Sense uses
make resistance rolls (write this as On (p. 34). ultrasonic sound waves. Base range is
“Immunity” on your character sheet): Below are several varieties of 2,000 yards underwater. You can spot
¥1. Scanning Sense. Each is a separate small objects and determine their
You have +8 to all HT rolls to resist: advantage, with its own special rules. shape, but you must make a Sense roll
¥1/2. Where these rules contradict the gen- to distinguish fine relief (e.g., to iden-
You have +3 to all HT rolls to resist: eral ones given above, follow the spe- tify a face). Sonar does not function if
¥1/3. cial rules. Each sense also has a base you are deafened, and can be
Drop all fractions from the final range. To adjust this, take Increased “jammed” or fooled by a very loud
cost. noise (e.g., an explosion). Individuals
Range (p. 106) or Reduced Range with Ultrahearing can detect Sonar.
An ordinary human could believ- (p. 115). Sonar is much less effective in air:
ably have any level of resistance to a Radar: Your Scanning Sense uses range is only 20 yards multiplied by
mundane “Rare” item, such as Sea - radio waves. Base range is 2,000 yards. air pressure in atmospheres (one
sickness. He might also have Resistant You can only detect large (human- atmosphere on Earth). Sonar is com-
to Disease (+3) [3], Resistant to sized or larger), dense objects. On a pletely ineffective in vacuum. 20
Disease (+8) [5], or Resistant to Poison points.



ADVANTAGES 81

Special Enhancements
Extended Arc: You can scan an arc
greater than 120°. A 240° arc (as
described for Peripheral Vision, p. 74)
is +75%; a 360° arc (as described for
360° Vision, p. 34) is +125%.
Low-Probability Intercept (LPI):
This is only available for Radar and
Sonar. You can switch this enhance-
ment on and off. Turning it on makes
your signal difficult to detect. This
halves range, but your Scanning Sense
can only be detected at 1.5 times the
halved range. +10%.
Multi-Mode: This is only available
for Radar. You can switch between
Radar and Imaging Radar. (This is
much cheaper than buying the two
advantages separately, because they
overlap to some extent.) +50%.
Penetrating: This is only available
for Para-Radar. You can “see” inside
any object within range. This func-
tions exactly as Penetrating Vision 2
(p. 74). +50%.
Targeting: By taking an Aim
maneuver, you can “lock onto” any
object within range and determine its
precise range and speed – just as if you
had a high-tech rangefinder. This gives
you +3 to hit that target with an aimed
ranged attack. +20%.
Special Limitations
Targeting Only: As Targeting, but
you can only use your sense to “lock
onto” targets already spotted with
another sense; you cannot use it to
spot things. -40%.

Sealed 31
15 points
You are encased in a gas- and liq-
uid-impermeable layer. This makes
you waterproof, and grants complete
immunity to corrosive or toxic agents
that must touch skin or exposed
machinery to work. You must still information that would otherwise be know” basis. Example: a strategic
breathe, unless you also have Doesn’t “off limits” to someone of your Rank bomber pilot, who might know secrets
Breathe (p. 49); however, your exterior or Status. For instance, a general about aircraft, weapons, and targets.
breathing apparatus (nose, snorkel, “cleared” for military secrets commen- 5 points.
etc.) is protected by this trait. surate with his Military Rank would • You have either free access to a
Likewise, you are not automatically not have to buy Security Clearance narrow range of secrets or “need to
pressurized; for that, take Pressure separately, but a civilian with exactly know” access to a broad range of
Support (p. 77) or Vacuum Support the same level of access would have to secrets. Example: a counterintelli-
(p. 96). pay points for the privilege. gence officer, who would have limited
Point cost depends on your degree access to many secrets, as part of his
Security Clearance 4 of access: job is to protect them. 10 points.
Variable • You have free access to a broad
• You have access to a relatively
A government agency or corpora- range of secrets. Example: a cinematic
tion trusts you with access to sensitive narrow range of secrets on a “need to secret agent, who will know almost


82 ADVANTAGES

any secret the plot requires him to the mechanic at the local garage has native form. To shift between forms,
know. 15 points. all the parts you need to complete you must concentrate for 10 seconds.
your ultra-tech contragrav belt). To speed this up, add Reduced Time
Halve these values (round up) if the You are free to suggest serendipi- (p. 108).
organization that grants the Security tous occurrences to the GM, but he Fatigue, injury, crippling, and
Clearance is of relatively minor impor- gets the final say. Should he reject all afflictions carry over between forms –
tance (e.g., a small corporation or your suggestions but fail to work although HP and FP losses scale in
municipal government). Serendipity into the game session, you proportion to the HP and FP of the
You cannot receive a security clear- will get your lucky breaks next game form. For instance, if you suffer 10 HP
ance without a thorough background session. of damage and a broken leg in a form
check. The GM is free to forbid this that has 20 HP, you will have 5 HP of
advantage to any PC who has a suspi- Shadow Form 31 damage and a broken leg when you
cious past (including such traits as switch to a form that has only 10 HP.
Debt or Secret) or an unstable person- 50 points If you are knocked out or killed,
ality (for instance, Paranoia or You can become a two-dimension- you immediately revert to your native
Sadism). al shadow. This lets you slip along
walls and floors – and through the form (which will also be unconscious
See Invisible 31 thinnest cracks (anything wide or dead). In addition, you must speci-
fy a single, reasonably common exter-
15 points enough to fit your shoulders through) nal influence that can force you to
You can see objects or individuals – at your usual ground Move. You can return to your native form against
also defy gravity, creeping up walls
that are normally invisible. Buy this and across ceilings at half Move. your will. This should suit the advan-
advantage separately for each kind of Physical attacks do half damage to tage’s origin: a Dispel Magic spell if
invisibility. your ability is magical, exorcism if a
you in this form. Energy attacks do
Sensitive normal damage, except for light-based spirit power, strong magnetic fields if
technological, etc.
attacks, which do 50% extra damage.
see Empathy, p. 51 Magic, psi, and other purely mental Shapeshifting comprises two dif-
abilities affect you normally. ferent traits: Alternate Form and
Sensitive Touch 31 You are subject to a few major Morph.
10 points restrictions while in this form. You Alternate Form
Your fingertips or equivalent cannot walk through three-dimen- Variable
organs are extremely sensitive, allow- sional space; you must slide along an Like the werewolf of folklore, you
ing you to sense residual heat in a object. Furthermore, you cannot per- can assume a specific form other than
chair, faint vibrations in the floor as form any purely physical attacks or your own. This can be anything built
someone approaches, etc. You get +4 actions, and you cannot carry ordi- with points: humanoid, animal, robot,
(in addition to any Acute Touch nary items or affect them in any way. etc. Create your alternate form as a
bonuses) on any task that utilizes the You can use magic, psi, and similar racial template (p. 260); however, you
sense of touch; e.g., a Forensics roll to abilities, however. can switch it “on” and “off.” This tem-
note the similarities or differences If you cannot switch out of plate need not be a “stock” template.
between two pieces of fabric, or a Shadow Form, Shadow Form is a dis- For instance, if you wish to retain
Search roll to feel out tiny concealed advantage worth -20 points. This will human intelligence in beast form, you
objects. make it difficult to interact with oth- could shift into a template that lacks
ers! You may still add enhancements, the beast’s low IQ (although this
Serendipity 2 but they will work like limitations, increases the template cost and hence
15 points/level reducing the value of the disadvan- the cost of Alternate Form). The GM is
You have the knack of being in the tage. For instance, a +50% enhance- the final judge of what templates are
right place at the right time. Each level ment would reduce the value of the allowed as Alternate Forms.
of this trait entitles you to one fortu- disadvantage by 50%, to -10 points. While it is turned on, your
itous but plausible coincidence per Special Enhancements Alternate Form’s racial template
game session. The details are up to the Can Carry Objects: You may carry replaces your native racial template.
GM. For instance, the GM might objects. They take Shadow Form Apply its racial traits – attribute modi-
declare that one of the guards you when picked up and return to normal fiers, racial advantages and disadvan-
need to talk your way past just hap- when put down. You still may not tages, etc. – instead of those of your
pens to be your cousin, or that there is affect non-shadow objects. No encum- native race. Personal traits (including
a sports car idling in front of the bank brance is +10%; Light, +20%; all attribute levels, advantages, disad-
just as you run outside in pursuit of Medium, +50%; Heavy, +100%. vantages, and skills bought over and
the fleeing bank robbers. above racial norms) remain intact,
From time to time, the GM may Shapeshifting 31 although your skill levels are affected
rule that a single implausible coinci- Variable by changes to the controlling attribute
dence counts as some or all of your You can physically change into one scores.
lucky breaks for a given session (e.g., or more forms different from your



ADVANTAGES 83

If the Alternate Form’s racial tem- such as Emergencies Only (p. 112), makes many forms available – any-
plate has traits that conflict with your Unconscious Only (p. 115), and thing no more powerful than your
personal traits, the traits of your Uncontrollable (p. 116) to Alternate native form. For a human, this
Alternate Form take precedence. For Form, as applicable. If you can only includes cats, insects, owls, and
instance, if you become a dolphin with change during the full moon, add wolves. If you can assume more pow-
No Manipulators, you will temporari- a -40% Trigger limitation (p. 115) as erful forms, add the difference
ly lose personal advantages that affect well. between the maximum racial tem-
your hands, such as High Manual Shapeshifting Races: When creating plate cost and the cost of your native
Dexterity, while you are in dolphin an entire race that has Alternate Form, template to the base 100 points. For
form – and some skills (for instance, work out the details of Alternate Form instance, a human who can take on
Lockpicking) will be relatively useless, last. Total the cost of all the race’s any racial template worth up to 75
although you do remember them. traits other than Alternate Form, sub- points would pay 175 points for
If you have a single Alternate tract this total from the cost of the Morph. You may improve this limit
Form, it costs 15 points for a racial template the race transforms into, and with earned character points.
template worth no more than your use the difference to calculate the cost You can always take on the form of
native racial template. A more power- of Alternate Form for the race. Add the a being you can see or touch, provided
ful form costs 15 points plus 90% of cost of Alternate Form to that of the its racial template cost does not
the difference in cost between your race’s other abilities to determine final exceed your maximum. Once you
native template and that of your racial cost. have assumed a form, you can opt to
Alternate Form. memorize it by concentrating for one
If you have multiple forms, pay full Example: Forest Dwarves can turn minute. This allows you to shapeshift
cost for the most expensive form. The into sapient bears. Excluding into that form at any time. You can
less powerful Alternate Forms cost a Alternate Form, the racial traits of memorize a number of forms equal to
flat 15 points apiece. Minimum cost Forest Dwarves total 25 points. The your IQ. If all your “slots” are full, you
per form is still 15 points. bear template is worth 125 points. The must overwrite a previously memo-
difference is 125 - 25 = 100 points. rized form (your choice) to add the
Example: Consider four racial tem- Thus, the cost of Alternate Form is 15 new form.
plates: a -100-point “cuddly critter,” a + (0.9 ¥ 100) = 105 points. This makes As with Alternate Form, the racial
0-point human, an 80-point “ravenous the Forest Dwarf template worth 25 + template of whatever you turn into
beast,” and a 100-point troll. A human 105 = 130 points. replaces your native racial template.
who can turn into a cuddly critter pays Special Limitations You may not add traits to templates,
15 points, as the cuddly critter tem- Cosmetic: You can assume a sec- but you may freely omit racial mental
plate is worth less than his native tem- ond, distinct appearance with no disadvantages (e.g., Bestial), and you
plate. A cuddly critter who can turn change in abilities or racial tem- may always choose to drop the racial
into a human pays 15 + (0.9 ¥ 100) = plate. -50%. IQ modifier from a template and use
105 points, since the human racial your own IQ. Such changes raise the
template is worth 100 points more Morph cost of animal templates, which are
than his own. A human who can Variable cheap due to limited mental capabili-
become a troll also pays 15 + (0.9 ¥ This ability is similar to Alternate ties. If you intend to do this, you
100) = 105 points. A human who can Form, but not limited to specific racial should spend more than the mini-
assume any of the other three tem- templates. You can assume any racial mum 100 points on Morph.
plates would pay full cost for his most template, within certain limits. Morph includes the ability to make
expensive form, the troll: 105 points. First, the racial template must cosmetic changes. This lets you imper-
The ravenous beast and cuddly critter already exist in your game world. The sonate a specific member of any race
forms would cost the minimum 15 GM might design the template himself you can turn into. You can always
points apiece. Total cost would be 135 or take one from a GURPS world- impersonate someone who is present
points. book, but you cannot design totally – but to assume his form later on, you
new templates for the purpose of
Were-Creatures: To create the clas- must commit a memory “slot” to that
sic “were-creature,” start by purchas- Morph (you can adjust existing ones, form. With enough points in Morph,
ing any trait that applies in both forms though; see below). you can use this function to improve
– Infectious Attack, Vulnerability Second, you can only turn into a appearance. For instance, 115 points
(Silver), etc. – as a personal trait. Next, living being, or a formerly living being in Morph would let you give yourself
buy an animal template as an such as a vampire. To change into any appearance from Horrific to
Alternate Form. Since most beast tem- a machine requires a special Handsome. Cosmetic changes still
plates are worth 0 or fewer points, this enhancement. take the usual 10 seconds.
will usually cost 15 points, but power- Finally, the template’s point value Shapeshifting Races: Members of a
ful creatures (e.g., bears and tigers) must be within a limit determined by race with the Morph ability must sub-
may cost more. If the beast form is the number of points you have in tract the point cost of Morph from
savage, the template should include Morph. racial cost when determining what
such traits as Berserk, Bestial, and If you can assume any racial tem- forms they can assume.
Bloodlust. Finally, apply limitations plate worth no more than your native
one, Morph costs 100 points. This

84 ADVANTAGES

Example: Blue Blobs have a racial by a factor of 10. Reduce Move, reach, never cash). For anything built as a
Morph ability worth 125 points – the damage (with unarmed attacks, character, use the rules under Allies
basic ability, plus 25 points of extra Innate Attacks, or shrunken weapons), (p. 36) instead. It is up to the GM
capacity. This lets them assume forms HP, and DR in proportion to height. whether to treat android companions,
worth 25 points more than their native Every full -2 to SM also reduces faithful steeds, custom vehicles, etc. as
one. With their other traits, their total weight by a factor of 10; for odd-num- equipment (with a cash cost) or char-
racial cost is 175 points. However, for bered levels, treat the extra -1 as an acters (with a point cost).
the purpose of Morph, they are consid- additional factor of 3 (e.g., -3 to SM If you misplace Signature Gear or
ered to have a racial cost of 175 - 125 = reduces weight by a factor of 30). sell it unwillingly, or an NPC steals or
50 points. With their 25 points of addi- confiscates it, the GM must give you
tional capacity, Blue Blobs can turn Example: A 5’10”-tall character an opportunity to recover it in the
into creatures worth up to 75 points. (SM 0) has Shrinking 12. This lets him course of the adventure. If it is truly
shrink until he has SM -12, reducing
Special Enhancements his height by a factor of 100 (to about lost forever through no fault of your
Unlimited: You can become any- 0.7”). However, at that size he has only own, the GM will give you back your
thing the GM has defined with a racial 1% his usual Move, reach, HP, and points (or replace the item with anoth-
template. This lets you turn into DR, and must divide any damage he er of equal value). However, should
robots, vehicles, etc. as well as living inflicts by 100. His weight goes down you sell or give away your Signature
beings. Most ordinary inanimate by a factor of 1,000,000! Gear of your own free will, it is gone,
objects – such as bricks and toasters – Special Enhancements along with the points spent on it!
are worth 0 points or less. With the Silence 31
GM’s permission, you can become a Affects Others: You can bring your
typical example of an object like this friends with you when you shrink! 5 points/level
without the need for a specific racial +50% per person you can affect at the You can move and breathe noise-
template. +50%. same time. lessly. You get +2 per level to Stealth
Can Carry Objects: You may carry skill when you are perfectly motion-
Special Limitations objects. This is limited to equipment less, or +1 if moving (even in armor,
Cosmetic: You can only change your you are actually carrying or wearing etc.). These bonuses help only in the
outward appearance. Your abilities when you shrink. Such items regain dark, or against listening devices,
and racial template are unaffected. normal size when put down; at the blind creatures, and others who must
-50%. This limitation includes Mass GM’s option, they might sweep you rely on hearing to find you.
Conservation, but not Retains Shape. aside as they grow, or even return to
Mass Conservation: All your forms normal size beneath you, stranding Single-Minded 2
have the same weight. If the weight of you high above the ground! No
your native form falls outside the nor- encumbrance is +10%; Light, +20%; 5 points
mal racial weight range for a race, you Medium, +50%; Heavy, +100%. You can really concentrate! You
simply cannot become a member of Full Damage: You inflict full dam- get +3 to success rolls for any lengthy
that race. The GM should be merciless age when shrunk. (GMs be warned: mental task you concentrate on to the
when enforcing this limitation – no this makes for an almost perfect assas- exclusion of other activities, if the GM
150-lb. mice or elephants! -20%. sin.) +100%. feels such focus would be beneficial.
Retains Shape: You can only Full DR: You retain full DR when You tend to ignore everything else
assume forms with the same number shrunk. +30%. while obsessed (roll vs. Will to avoid
of limbs, body layout, posture, etc. as Full HP: You retain full HP when this), and have -5 to all rolls to notice
your native form. This would limit a shrunk. +30%. interruptions.
human Morph to humanoids (e.g., Full Move: You retain full Move The GM may rule that certain com-
elves and giants), a wolf Morph to hor- when shrunk. +30%. plex tasks (e.g., inventing, magic, and
izontal quadrupeds, and a bird Morph social activities) require you to divide
to other birds. -20%. Signature Gear 4 your attention. This trait has no effect
in such situations.
Variable
Shrinking 31 You have distinctive, valuable pos-
5 points/level sessions unrelated to your wealth level. Slippery 31
You can shrink at will. Each level This gear is as much a part of your per- 2 points/level
of Shrinking lets you change your Size sonal legend as are your reputation You are hard to hold! You might be
Modifier by -1, at the rate of -1 SM per and skills. You must explain where it slimy, molecularly smooth, or sur-
second. You return to normal size at came from: you won your starship in a rounded by a force field that negates
the same rate. By default, you cannot card game, inherited your magic friction. Each level of this trait (maxi-
carry any equipment, not even cloth- sword from your mentor, etc. mum five levels) gives +1 on all ST,
ing, when you shrink. The ability to For equipment normally bought DX, and Escape rolls to slip restraints,
carry objects while shrunk is an with money, such as weapons and break free in close combat, or squeeze
enhancement. armor, each point in Signature Gear through narrow openings.
When you shrink, find your new gives goods worth up to 50% of the
height from the Size Modifier Table average campaign starting wealth (but Smooth Operator
(p. 19). Every -6 to SM reduces height see Talent, p. 89.

ADVANTAGES 85

Snatcher 25 You cannot clearly visualize what Special Enhancements
you want: -4 or worse (GM’s option). Permanent: Objects you snatch
80 points
Even on a “success,” you might not get don’t vanish when you use your ability
You have the power to find almost what you were really hoping for. again. The GM is free to forbid this
any small item you desire in an alter- enhancement, as it allows a single
nate world and “snatch” it across the You cannot get an item that works Snatcher to amass boundless wealth
dimensions to you. The items you by natural laws wholly different from by snatching small, valuable objects.
snatch do not come from your own those in your world. For instance, if +300%.
world, but from some nameless paral- your world is nonmagical (or has no
lel; therefore, you can never intention- magic that you know of), you cannot Special Limitations
ally take something away from a spe- snatch a magic item, because you are Less Weight: Your weight limit is
cific other person. Note that this talent unable to visualize it properly; you lower than 5 lbs.
does not allow you to visit alternate would get a pretty but powerless mun- Limit Cost Modifier
worlds in person – only to steal from dane item. Similarly, if you are from a 3 lbs. -5%
them. low-TL world, you could not get a 2 lbs. -10%
To make a snatch, you must first laser pistol; you wouldn’t be able to 1 lb. -15%
concentrate for 10 seconds and clearly visualize it well, and your best effort 4 oz. -25%
visualize the item you want. The item would be a broken or toy gun. (A gen- 1 oz. -30%
must be able to fit in one hand, and erous GM might bend this rule on a
cannot weigh more than 5 lbs. You critical success . . . and then let the Specialized: You can only grab a
should have a hand free (if your hands poor Snatcher try to figure out how to certain type of object, or cannot touch
are tied, you roll at -3), and others can use his amulet or laser pistol without a certain class of thing. Examples:
see you making “reaching” motions killing himself.) Only metal, -5%; Only money, -10%;
with that hand. Information is not available except Only weapons, -10%; Only informa-
Next, make an IQ roll for the in the form of “ordinary” textbooks, tion, -20%; No metal, -20%; Only blue
snatch attempt. If you are trying for reports, etc. You can grab a history things, -25%. The GM sets the limita-
information in any form, the GM book, but you can’t ask for “The Book tion value using the guidelines under
makes this roll for you (see below). of What Happens Next in My Accessibility (p. 110).
Regardless of IQ, a roll of 14 or more Adventure.” Note that the GM makes Stunning: You are mentally
always fails. the roll if information is requested. If stunned after a successful snatch.
On a success, the desired item the roll fails by 5 or more, the infor- -10%.
appears in your hand – or sitting with- mation comes from an alternate world Unpredictable: On a failed IQ roll,
in arm’s reach, if you prefer. On a fail- with different history, physics, etc., you get something, but it isn’t what
ure, you obtain nothing. On a critical and is wrong – maybe subtly, maybe you wanted. The worse the failure, the
failure, you snatched the wrong item! not subtly at all! more different the item is. If you want-
This item is not immediately danger- Repeated Attempts ed a loaded pistol, failure by 1 might
ous unless you were trying for some- If your snatch attempt is unsuc- bring an unloaded pistol. Failure by 2
thing dangerous. cessful, you can immediately try to could mean a water pistol, failure by 3
Regardless of success or failure, snatch the same or a similar object a book on “How to Shoot,” and so on
each snatch attempt costs 2 FP. .. . with a critical failure bringing a
again. These “repeated attempts” are
Items Available made at a cumulative -1 to the IQ roll. live hand grenade. Any critical failure
In theory, you can get anything. In Each repeated attempt costs 4 FP is dangerous, regardless of what you
practice, some things are so hard to instead of the usual 2 FP. To eliminate were looking for! -25%.
find that it is little use trying for them. these penalties, wait one hour Social Chameleon 2
You have a good chance of getting any between attempts.
item that exists, or that ever existed, in The GM should be strict about 5 points
your own world – or any reasonably attempts to circumvent this. For You have the knack of knowing
similar item. If the desired item is instance, a “.45 pistol” is not very dif- exactly what to say – and when to say
unusual, the GM may apply a penalty ferent from a “.357 pistol” for the pur- it – around your social “betters.” You
to the IQ roll: pose of this advantage. Furthermore, are exempt from reaction penalties
ignore critical successes on repeated due to differences in Rank or Status.
Item is significantly different from attempts made in quick succession. If In situations where there would be no
anything that ever appeared in your the snatch being attempted is very dif- such penalty, you get +1 on reactions
own world: -1 or more (GM’s option). ficult, there is little choice but to wait from those who demand respect
You could visualize “a perfect dia- an hour between attempts. (priests, kings, etc.). This is a cine -
mond, bright green, the size of a hen’s matic advantage!
egg, carved into the shape of a type- Duration
writer,” but you might be rolling The objects you snatch remain Social Regard 4
at -20! until you voluntarily return them or 5 points per +1 reaction
Item is unique or almost unique use your Snatcher ability again. To
in any one world (e.g., the Hope keep objects indefinitely, take the You are a member of a class, race,
Diamond): -3 or worse (GM’s option). Permanent enhancement (below). sex, or other group that your society


86 ADVANTAGES

holds in high regard. To be an advan- Venerated: Total strangers react to speak at all. The GM may require a
tage, this must be obvious to anyone you in a caring way. They give up reaction roll (+2 to reactions if you
who meets you. This is the opposite of seats, let you ahead of them in lines, offer food).
Social Stigma (p. 155); membership in and receive your every word as pearls The GM is free to rule that alien,
a given social group cannot result in of wisdom. They also take great pains unnatural, or mythical beasts don’t
both Social Regard and Social Stigma. to prevent you from putting yourself count as “animals” for the purpose of
Social Regard costs 5 points per +1 in danger or even discomfort – even this advantage.
to reaction rolls, to a maximum of +4. when you need to do so! Example: an Special Limitations
This is not a Reputation, despite the elderly person in many societies. Specialized: You can only commu-
similarities in cost and effect. You are nicate with certain animals. “All land
treated well because of what you are, Speak Underwater 31 animals” (including birds, insects, and
not because of who you are. Think of 5 points land-dwelling mammals and reptiles)
it as “privilege by association.” You can talk normally while sub- or “All aquatic animals” (including
The way you are treated on a good merged, and you can understand what amphibians, fish, mollusks, crus-
reaction roll will depend on the type of others say while underwater. taceans, and cetaceans) is -40%; one
Regard:
Special Enhancements class (e.g., “Mammals” or “Birds”),
Feared: Others will react to you Interface Crossing: You can talk to -50%; one family (e.g., “Felines” or
much as if you had successfully used those outside of the water while sub- “Parrots”), -60%; one species (e.g.,
Intimidation skill (p. 202). Those who merged, and can understand people “House Cats” or “Macaws”), -80%.
like you stand aside, while those who on the surface talking to you. +50%.
dislike you flee rather than risk a con- Speak With Plants 21
frontation. You are met with silent Speak With Animals 21 15 points
deference, and perhaps even respect, 25 points You can communicate empathical-
but never friendly familiarity. You can converse with animals. ly with plants. All earthly plants are IQ
Examples: a god among men or an The quality of information you receive 0, but a large tree might be “wiser”
Amazon warrior. depends on the beast’s IQ and the GM’s than the average ivy, at the GM’s
Respected: You receive polite and decision on what the animal has to say. whim. A plant might know how
obsequious deference, much as if you Insects and other tiny creatures might recently it was watered or walked on,
had high Status (p. 28), regardless of only be able to convey emotions such or something else that directly bears
your actual Status. Social interactions as hunger and fear, while a chimp or a on its well-being, but would be unable
other than combat usually go smooth- cat might be able to engage in a rea- to relate an overheard phone conver-
ly for you – but there will be times sonably intelligent discussion. It takes sation. Any normal plant will always
when the kowtowing gets in the way. one minute to ask one question and get cooperate, within the limits of its abil-
Examples: a member of a priest caste the answer – if the animal decides to ity. A mutant cabbage from Mars
or a ruling race. might require a reaction roll!






































ADVANTAGES 87

Special Rapport 25 can get a feeling for the general Striker 31
intentions of any spirit you
5 points 5, 6, 7, or 8 points
encounter by making a successful IQ
You have a unique bond with roll. As well, your Influence skills You have a body part that you can
another person. This acts as a potent (Diplomacy, Sex Appeal, etc.) work use to strike an aimed blow, but not to
version of Empathy (p. 51) that works normally on spirits, which sets you manipulate objects (see Extra Arms,
only with one person, without regard aside from most mortals. Spirit p. 53) or walk on (see Extra Legs,
to distance. You always know when Empathy does not prevent evil or p. 54). This might be a set of horns or
your partner is in trouble, in pain, mischievous spirits from seeking to protruding tusks, a heavy tail, a
lying, or in need of help, no matter harm you, but at the GM’s option, it stinger, or any number of other natu-
where he is. This requires no IQ roll. might make it easier to detect and ral weapons.
Your partner receives the same bene- counter their plots. Your Striker can attack at reach C
fits with respect to you. (“close combat only”), inflicting thrust
Both partners in a Special Rapport Special Limitations damage at +1 per die; e.g., 2d-1
must buy this advantage. Your partner Specialized: You are naturally in becomes 2d+1. Damage is crushing or
need not be a lover, or even a close tune with the customs and moods of piercing for 5 points, large piercing for
friend, but the GM has the final say. In one specific class of spirits. 6 points, cutting for 7 points, or impal-
particular, the GM may wish to forbid Possibilities include angels, demons, ing for 8 points. See Innate Attack
PCs from buying Special Rapports elementals, faerie, ghosts, and any- (p. 61) for details.
with powerful NPCs who would other- thing else the GM wishes to Roll against DX or Brawling to hit
wise qualify as Patrons (or allow it, allow. -50%. with your Striker. You can also use it
but require an Unusual Background). to parry as if you had a weapon. Use
the higher of (DX/2) + 3 or your
Brawling parry.
Stretching is ideal for machines with Special Enhancements
Long: Your Striker is long relative
telescoping mechanisms. A super with a “rubber
to your body. This increases your
body” should add some combination of Elastic effective SM for the purpose of calcu-
Skin, Double-Jointed, Morph, and Super Jump. lating reach (see Size Modifier and
Reach, p. 402). +100% per +1 to SM if
you can attack at any reach from C to
maximum, or +75% per +1 to SM if
Spines 31 Status you can only attack at maximum
1 or 3 points see p. 28 reach (and never in close combat).
You have sharp spines, like those of High Status is an advantage, and Special Limitations
a porcupine or an echidna, located on should be noted on your character Cannot Parry: You cannot parry
strategic parts of your body. This is sheet. with your Striker. -40%.
defensive weaponry, intended to dis- Clumsy: Your Striker is unusually
courage attackers; you cannot use Stretching 31 inaccurate. This is common for tails
your Spines actively. However, you get 6 points/level and similar Strikers aimed from out-
a DX-4 roll to hit each foe in close You can stretch your body in any side your usual arc of vision. -20%
combat with you once per turn, as a direction. Each level of Stretching lets per -1 to hit.
free action. Roll at +2 against foes who you increase your effective SM by +1 Limited Arc: Your Striker can only
attacked you from behind. Those who with any body part without increasing attack straight ahead, straight behind,
grapple or slam you are hit immedi- your overall SM. You can elongate etc. Specify a direction when you buy
ately and automatically – and those your arms to increase reach (but not the Striker. If your target isn’t in the
who slam you take maximum damage! swinging damage, as Stretching gives right place, and you cannot maneuver
no extra mass or muscle), your legs to to put him there, you cannot attack
Short Spines: One or two inches negotiate obstacles, your neck to see him at all. -40%.
long. Do 1d-2 impaling damage. over barriers, etc. For more informa- Weak: Your Striker is unusually
Reach C. 1 point. tion, see Size Modifier and Reach blunt or light, or simply incapable of
Long Spines: One or two feet long. (p. 402). Your body parts grow or using your full ST. It inflicts only basic
Do 1d impaling damage. Reach C. 3 shrink at the rate of ±1 SM per second. thrust damage, without the +1 per
points.
By itself, Stretching is ideal for die. -50%.
Spirit Empathy 25 machines with telescoping manipula- Striking ST 31
tors. A super with a “rubber body”
10 points should add some combination of 5 points per +1 ST
You are in tune with spirits, and Elastic Skin (p. 51), Double-Jointed You can strike more powerful
receive the benefits of Empathy (p. 56), Morph (p. 84), and Super blows than your ST score would indi-
(p. 51) when dealing with them. You Jump (p. 89). cate. Add Striking ST to base ST



88 ADVANTAGES

solely for the purpose of calculating distance and height you can achieve an injury of 10¥HP or more. That
thrust and swing damage (see Damage when jumping (see Jumping, p. 352). much damage at once will blow you
Table, p. 16). Striking ST has no effect Your Move while jumping is the apart, killing you.
on HP or Basic Lift. If you bought greater of your normal ground Move To die, you must first be wounded
your ST with the No Fine and 1/5 your maximum long jump dis- to -HP or worse. After that, one specif-
Manipulators or Size limitation, apply tance (thus, your maximum jump ic item can kill you. You must specify
the same limitation(s) to Striking ST. never takes more than five seconds). this when you buy Supernatural
For instance, if your long jump were Durability. Valid categories appear
Subsonic Hearing 31 100 yards, your jumping Move would under Limited Defenses (p. 46); the
0 or 5 points be the greater of 20 and your normal item that can kill you must be of
You can hear very low-frequency ground Move. “Occasional” rarity or higher. If
sounds (under 40 Hz), such as the You can jump at a foe in order to wounds from this item ever reduce
rumble of distant storms, the vibra- slam him. Figure the slam at your your HP to the point where a normal
tions from incipient earthquakes, and maximum jumping Move! You don’t human would have to make HT rolls
the approach of stampeding herd need to make a separate roll to jump to survive, you must make those HT
beasts, armored vehicles, or dragons. accurately. rolls or die. If this item wounds you
This gives +1 to Tracking skill if your Finally, if you fall a distance less to -5¥HP, you die automatically. If you
quarry is moving on the ground. Cost than or equal to your maximum high are already below -5¥HP from other
depends on your capabilities: jump, you take no damage. You can damage, any wound from this item
increase this distance by five yards will kill you. Any item to which you
You can hear very low-frequency with a successful Acrobatics roll. have a Vulnerability (p. 161) can also
sounds only: 0 points. kill you in this way.
You can hear very low-frequency Super Luck 25
sounds and other sounds: 5 points. 100 points Talent 2
Note that Subsonic Hearing is You are not just lucky – you have Variable
included in the cost of Subsonic limited control over probability. Once You have a natural aptitude for a
Speech (below); you cannot take both per hour of play, you may dictate the set of closely related skills. “Talents”
traits. result of any one die roll you make (or come in levels, and give the following
the GM makes for you) instead of benefits:
Subsonic Speech 31 rolling the dice. Wholly impossible • A bonus of +1 per level with all
0 or 10 points attempts cannot succeed (your effec- affected skills, even for default use.
You can converse using extremely tive skill level must be at least 3), but This effectively raises your relative
low-frequency sounds. This trait you can choose any result that would skill level with those skills only; thus,
includes Subsonic Hearing, above. be possible – however improbable – on this is an inexpensive way to be adept
Subsonic speech is slow (half-speed), a single normal die roll. at small class of skills. (Generalists
and even if the frequency is shifted You can have Super Luck and any will find it more cost-effective to raise
into the normal range, subsonic degree of “normal” Luck, but no one attributes.)
speakers are at -2 to Fast-Talk and any can take Super Luck more than once! • A bonus of +1 per level on all
other skill where versatile speaking is Supernatural Durability reaction rolls made by anyone in a
important. However, subsonic speech position to notice your Talent, if he
carries twice as far as normal speech. 35 would be impressed by your aptitude
Cost depends on your capabilities: 150 points (GM’s judgment). To receive this
You can only communicate via Like a vampire or psycho killer bonus, you must demonstrate your
Subsonic Speech: 0 points. from a horror movie, you can “shake Talent – most often by using the
You can switch between regular off” most wounds. Injury comes off affected skills.
speech and Subsonic Speech at will: HP as usual, and you suffer knock- • A reduction in the time required
10 points. back, but you are completely immune to learn the affected skills in play,
to shock, physical stun, and knockout. regardless of how you learn them.
Super Climbing 31 You don’t need High Pain Threshold – Reduce the time required by 10% per
this ability includes that one, and is far level of Talent; e.g., Animal Friend 2
3 points/level
more potent! would let you learn animal-related
You can climb very quickly. Each As long as you have 0 or more HP, skills in 80% the usual time. This has
level of Super Climbing gives you +1 you are also immune to crippling no effect on the point cost of your
Move when climbing or using the injuries, and have your full Move. skills.
Clinging advantage (p. 43).
Below 0 HP, you are at half Move and You may never have more than
Super Jump 31 Dodge, and can be crippled, but you four levels of a particular Talent.
won’t die unless you are wounded by
10 points/level an attack to which you are specifically However, overlapping Talents can give
You can make superhuman leaps! vulnerable (see below). The sole excep- skill bonuses (only) in excess of +4.
Each level of Super Jump doubles the tion to this is a single attack that inflicts



ADVANTAGES 89

Cost of Talents
The cost of a Talent depends on the
size of the group of skills affected:
Small (6 or fewer related skills): 5
points/level.
Medium (7 to 12 related skills): 10
points/level.
Large (13 or more related skills): 15
points/level.
Skills with multiple specialties are
considered to be one skill for this pur-
pose. Once you buy a Talent, the list of
affected skills is fixed. (Exception: The
GM may rule that a Talent affects new
skills appearing in later GURPS sup-
plements, or skills he invents in the
course of the campaign, if the Talent
would logically be of value to those
skills.)
Examples of Talents
The following Talents are consid-
ered standard, and exist in most cam-
paigns:

Animal Friend: Animal Handling,
Falconry, Packing, Riding, Teamster,
and Veterinary. Reaction bonus: all
animals. 5 points/level.
Artificer: Armoury, Carpentry,
Electrician, Electronics Repair,
Engineer, Machinist, Masonry,
Mechanic, and Smith. Reaction bonus:
anyone you do work for. 10
points/level.
Business Acumen: Accounting,
Administration, Economics, Finance,
Gambling, Market Analysis, Mer -
chant, and Propaganda. Reaction
bonus: anyone you do business with.
10 points/level.
Gifted Artist: Artist, Jeweler,
Leatherworking, Photography, and
Sewing. Reaction bonus: anyone buy-
ing or critiquing your work. 5
points/level.
Green Thumb: Biology, Farming,
Gardening, Herb Lore, and Naturalist.
Reaction bonus: gardeners and sen-
tient plants. 5 points/level.
Healer: Diagnosis, Esoteric Medi -
cine, First Aid, Pharmacy, Physician,
Physiology, Psychology, Surgery, and
Veterinary. Reaction bonus: patients,
both past and present. 10 points/level.
Mathematical Ability: Accounting,
Astronomy, Cryptography, Engineer,
Finance, Market Analysis, Mathe -
matics, and Physics. Reaction bonus:
engineers and scientists. 10 points/level.




90 ADVANTAGES

Musical Ability: Group Perform - speed at which you could draw them. Telesend: You can transmit
ance (Conducting), Musical Compo - To establish contact requires one sec- thoughts directly to others via magic,
sition, Musical Influence, Musical ond of concentration and an IQ roll. psi, or other exotic means (be specif-
Instrument, and Singing. Reaction After that, no concentration is ic!). Your subject receives your
bonus: anyone listening to or cri- required. You can maintain multiple thoughts even if he lacks this ability.
tiquing your work. 5 points/level. contacts, but the IQ roll is at a cumu- Range is theoretically unlimited, but
Outdoorsman: Camouflage, Fish - lative -1 per contact after the first. the IQ roll to use this ability takes the
ing, Mimicry, Naturalist, Navigation, Telecommunication works amid range penalties given under Long-
Survival, and Tracking. Reaction even the loudest noises, although Distance Modifiers (p. 241). If you can-
bonus: explorers, nature lovers, and interference and jamming can disrupt not see or otherwise sense your sub-
the like. 10 points/level. your signal. Those with suitable ject, you have an additional penalty: -1
Smooth Operator: Acting, Carous - equipment may attempt to locate, for family, lovers, or close friends; -3
ing, Detect Lies, Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, intercept, or jam your transmission. for casual friends and acquaintances;
Intimidation, Leadership, Panhan - This requires an Electronics Opera - or -5 for someone met only briefly. 30
dling, Politics, Public Speak ing, tion (Comm uni cations) roll for an points.
Savoir-Faire, Sex Appeal, and Street - electromagnetic signal, an Electronics Special Enhancements
wise. Reaction bonus: con artists, Operation (Psychotronics) roll for a Broadcast: This enhancement is
politicians, salesmen, etc. – but only if psionic signal, and so forth. only available for Telesend. It lets you
you are not trying to manipulate Each variety of Tele commu - send your thoughts to everyone in a
them. 15 points/level. nication is a separate advantage with radius around you. This requires an
its own benefits and drawbacks. Some
Custom Talents IQ roll at the long-distance modifier
At the GM’s option, you may create forms have limited range, which you for the desired radius, plus an addi-
your own Talent with a custom skill can adjust using Increased Range tional -4. +50%.
list. However, the GM’s word is law (p. 106) or Reduced Range (p. 115). Short Wave: This is only available
when determining which skills are Infrared Communication: You for Radio. You can bounce your signal
“related” and how may points the communicate using a modulated off a planet’s ionosphere (if the planet
Talent is worth. Talents should always infrared beam. Base range is 500 has one). This lets you transmit to (or
be believable inborn aptitudes. For yards in a direct line of sight. The receive from) any point on the planet.
instance, Sports Talent might make short range and line-of-sight require- Note that solar flares, weather, etc.
sense – some athletes really do seem to ment make jamming and eavesdrop- can disrupt short-wave communica-
have a gift – but the GM ought to for- ping almost impossible under normal tions. +50%.
bid Ninja Talent or Weapon Talent circumstances. You can only commu- Universal: Your messages are auto-
(but see Weapon Master, p. 99). nicate with those who have this matically translated into your sub-
advantage or an infrared communica- ject’s language. The GM may limit this
Teeth 31 tor. 10 points. enhancement to individuals from
0, 1, or 2 points Laser Communication: You com- advanced tech levels, or restrict it to
Anyone with a mouth has blunt municate using a modulated laser Telesend. +50%.
teeth that can bite for thrust-1 crush- beam. Base range is 50 miles in a Video: You are not limited to simple
ing damage. This costs 0 points, and is direct line of sight. The narrow beam pictures! You can transmit real-time
typical of most herbivores. You have a and line-of-sight requirement make it video of anything you can see. +40%.
more damaging bite: extremely hard to eavesdrop on you. Special Limitations
You can only communicate with peo- Racial: Your ability only works on
Sharp Teeth: Like those of most car- ple who have this advantage or a laser
nivores. Inflict thrust-1 cutting dam- communicator. 15 points. those of your own race or a very simi-
age. 1 point. Radio: You communicate using lar race, per Mind Reading
Sharp Beak: Like that of a bird of radio waves. Base range is 10 miles. (p. 69). -20%.
prey. Inflicts thrust-1 large piercing Your signal is omnidirectional, but Receive Only: You can receive but
damage. 1 point. because you can shift frequencies, not send. This limitation is not avail-
Fangs: Like those of a Smilodon. eavesdroppers must still roll vs. able for Telesend. -50%.
Inflict thrust-1 impaling damage. 2 Electronics Operation (Comm uni - Send Only: You can send but not
points. cations) to listen in. A side benefit of receive. This limitation is not available
for Telesend. -50%.
this ability is that you can receive AM,
Telecommunication FM, CB, and other ordinary radio sig- Telepathic: Your ability is part of
2/31 nals on an IQ roll (takes one second). the Telepathy psi power (see
p. 257). -10%.
Variable Note that radio-frequency “noise” Vague: You cannot send speech or
from lightning and unshielded elec-
You can communicate over long pictures. You can only send a simple
distances without speaking aloud. You tronics can interfere with Radio. code (e.g., Morse code) – or general
can send words at the speed of Radio does not work at all underwa- concepts and emotions, in the case of
ordinary speech or pictures at the ter. 10 points. Telesend. -50%.




ADVANTAGES 91

Telekinesis 2/31 GM may assess any penalty he feels is metals: iron (including steel), nickel,
appropriate. and cobalt. -50%.
5 points/level Psychokinetic: Your ability is part
You can move objects without Grappling and Striking: You can use of the Psychokinesis psi power (see
touching them. In effect, you manifest TK to attack a foe directly. Roll against p. 256). This makes it mental (2)
an invisible force that acts under your DX or an unarmed combat skill to hit. rather than physical (3). -10%.
conscious direction at a distant point. Your foe defends as if attacked by an Visible: Your TK is not an invisible
Specify how you do this; possibilities invisible opponent (see Visibility, force, but a disembodied hand, glow-
include magnetism, psionic psychoki- p. 394). If you grapple, your foe can- ing “tractor beam,” or similar. This
nesis, an ultra-tech “tractor beam,” or not grab hold of the TK force, but he makes it much easier for others to
a supernatural “poltergeist effect.” can try to break free as usual – and if defend against your TK attacks (do
You can manipulate distant objects he also has TK, he can take a not use the Visibility rules). -20%.
just as if you were grasping them in a Concentrate maneuver and use his TK
pair of hands with ST equal to your level instead of his ST. The turn after Telescopic Vision 31
Telekinesis (TK) level. You can move you grapple a foe using TK, your TK 5 points/level
any object you have strength enough can use a Move maneuver to pick him
to lift, at a Move equal to your TK up off the ground, provided you have You can “zoom in” with your eyes
level, modified as usual for encum- enough TK to lift his weight. Someone as if using binoculars. Each level lets
brance level (see Encumbrance and in this position can’t do anything that you ignore -1 in range penalties to
Move, p. 17). Regardless of level, max- relies on ground contact (run, retreat, Vision rolls at all times, or -2 in range
imum range is 10 yards. To modify etc.), but can perform any other action penalties if you take an Aim maneuver
range, take Increased Range (p. 106) that is possible while grappled. to zoom in on a particular target. This
or Reduced Range (p. 115).
Telekinesis requires constant con-
centration to use. In combat, this Telekinesis: Possibilities include magnetism,
means you must take a Concentrate
maneuver on your turn. Your TK may psionic psychokinesis, an ultra-tech “tractor
then perform one standard maneuver beam,” or a supernatural “poltergeist effect.”
as if were a disembodied pair of hands
at some point within your range: a
Ready maneuver to pick up an object;
a Move maneuver to lift and carry it; Levitation: If you have enough TK ability can also function as a telescop-
an Attack maneuver to throw it, or to to lift your own body weight, you can ic sight, giving up to +1 Accuracy per
grab or strike directly; and so on. levitate. Take the Concentrate maneu- level with ranged attacks provided you
ver and have your TK take Move take an Aim maneuver for seconds
Example: On your turn in combat, maneuvers to propel your body. For equal to the bonus (see Scopes under
you take a Concentrate maneuver and true psychokinetic flight, take Flight Firearm Accessories, p. 411).
state that your TK is taking an Attack (p. 56) with the Psychokinetic limita- The benefits of this trait are not
maneuver to grab a gun from a foe. tion (below). cumulative with those of technologi-
The following turn, you can Throwing: By applying a TK cal aids such as binoculars or scopes.
Concentrate again and specify that impulse for a fraction of a second, you If you have both, you must opt to use
your TK is taking an Aim or Wait can throw objects faster (and farther) one or the other.
maneuver to cover your enemy with than you can move them. Take a Special Limitations
the gun, an Attack maneuver to shoot Concentrate maneuver and have your
him, or a Move maneuver to bring the TK take an Attack maneuver. This No Targeting: Your field of vision is
gun to your hand. broad and not “zeroed” to your ranged
works just as if you were throwing the attacks. You get no Accuracy bonus in
No rolls are necessary for ordinary object with ST equal to your TK level. combat. -60%.
lifting and movement. For more com- Roll against Throwing or Thrown
plex actions, the GM might require Weapon skill to hit, depending on the Temperature Control
you to make a DX or skill roll. In situ- object being hurled. For 1/2D and Max 2/31
ations where you would roll against purposes, measure range from the 5 points/level
ST, roll against your TK level instead. object (not yourself!) to the target; for
All of the above assumes that you the purpose of range penalties, use the You can alter the ambient temper-
are using TK to perform a task at a sum of the distance from you to the ature. Heating or cooling is limited to
distance. TK can also discreetly assist object and from the object to the tar- 20° per level, and occurs at a rate of 2°
you with such skills as Gambling get. Once you throw something, you per level per second of concentration.
(especially to cheat!), Lockpicking, have “released” your telekinetic grip – You can affect a two-yard radius at a
and Surgery. In general, anything that your TK must take a Ready maneuver distance of up to 10 yards. Use
would benefit from High Manual to pick it up again. Increased Range (p. 106) or Reduced
Dexterity (p. 59) gets a +4 bonus if you Special Limitations Range (p. 115) to modify range; add
can successfully make an IQ roll to use Magnetic: Your TK is “super levels of Area Effect (p. 102) to
your TK properly. On a failure, the magnetism,” and only affects ferrous increase radius.


92 ADVANTAGES

This ability never does damage IQ roll any time you have to distin- mind-warping body geometry, or even
directly. For that, buy Innate Attack – guish between them under stress . .. divine awe or unbearable beauty.
usually either burning (for flame) or you might need Acting skill to stay out When you activate this ability, anyone
fatigue (for attacks that damage by of the lunatic asylum.) who sees you or hears you (choose one
altering body temperature). There is a drawback: there is a when you buy this trait) must roll an
“you” in any parallel or split timeline immediate Fright Check (see Fright
Special Limitations
Cold: You can only decrease the you encounter, and he is as similar to Checks, p. 360).
temperature. -50%. you as the timeline allows. Modifiers: All applicable modifiers
Heat: You can only increase the This trait is only worthwhile in a under Fright Check Modifiers (p. 360).
temperature. -50%. campaign in which paradoxes or You can buy extra penalties to this
Psychokinetic: Your ability is part changes in history – erasing past Fright Check for 10 points per -1 to the
of the Psychokinesis psi power (see events or whole timelines – are roll. Your victims get +1 per Fright
p. 256), often called “cryokinesis” (for possible. See Unique (p. 160) for the Check after the first within 24 hours.
cold) or “pyrokinesis” (for heat). -10%. opposite of this advantage.
If a victim succeeds at his Fright
Temperature Tolerance Temporary Rank Check, he will be unaffected by your
3 see Rank, p. 29 Terror for one hour.
Add the Melee Attack limitation
1 point/level Tenure 4 (p. 112) if your Terror affects only
Every character has a temperature 5 points those you touch.
“comfort zone” within which he suf- Special Limitations
fers no ill effects (such as FP or HP You have a job from which you Always On: You cannot turn off
loss) due to heat or cold. For ordinary cannot normally be fired. You can your Terror to engage in normal social
humans, this zone is 55° wide and falls only lose your job (and this trait) as activities. This limitation often accom-
between 35° and 90°. For nonhumans, the result of extraordinary misbehav- panies the extreme levels of
the zone can be centered anywhere, ior: assault, gross immorality, etc. Appearance – usually Hideous or
but this is a 0-point feature for a zone Otherwise, your employment and worse, but possibly also
no larger than 55°. A larger zone is an salary are guaranteed for life. This is Transcendent! -20%.
advantage. Each level of Temperature most common among modern-day
Tolerance adds HT degrees to your university professors, but also applies Trained By A Master 2
comfort zone, distributed in any way to judges, priests, senators, etc. in
you wish between the “cold” and “hot” many societies. 30 points
ends of the zone. Terrain Adaptation 31 You have been trained by – or are –
Temperature Tolerance confers no a true master of the martial arts. Your
special resistance to attacks by fire or 0 or 5 points exceptional talent means you have half
ice unless the only damage is a result You do not suffer DX or Move the usual penalty to make a Rapid
of a rise or fall in the ambient temper- penalties for one specific type of Strike (see Melee Attack Options,
ature. In particular, it cannot help you unstable terrain: ice, sand, snow, etc. p. 370), or to parry more than once per
if your body temperature is being Cost depends on your capabilities: turn (see Parrying, p. 376). These ben-
manipulated. You can function normally on one efits apply to all your unarmed com-
In a realistic campaign, the GM specific type of unstable terrain, but bat skills (Judo, Karate, etc.) and
should limit normal humans to suffer the DX and Move penalties that Melee Weapon skills.
Temperature Tolerance 1 or 2. most characters experience on that Furthermore, you can focus your
However, high levels of this trait are terrain type when you traverse solid inner strength (often called “chi”) to
likely for nonhumans with fur or a ground: 0 points. perform amazing feats! This permits
heavy layer of fat. you to learn Flying Leap, Invisibility
You can function at full DX and Art, Power Blow, and many other
Temporal Inertia 25 Move both on solid ground and on one skills – anything that requires this
particular type of unstable terrain: 5
15 points points. advantage as a prerequisite (see
You are strongly rooted in proba- Chapter 4).
The GM is free to set prerequisites
bility. If history changes, you can You must buy this ability separate- for this advantage if he wishes.
remember both versions. If you are ly for each terrain type. Common examples from fiction
involved in a genuine time paradox, Terror 25 include Judo, Karate, Melee Weapon
you are not erased, even if the rest of skills, Philosophy, and Theology.
your world is! You have a place in the 30 points + 10 points per This ability is definitely “larger
new timeline, whatever it is, and -1 to Fright Check than life.” The GM may wish to forbid
remember all your experiences – even You can unhinge the minds of it in a realistic campaign.
the ones that never happened. (In an others. There are many way this effect
extreme case, you have two complete can manifest: a chilling howl,
sets of memories, and must make an




ADVANTAGES 93

True Faith 25 downward for soft rock or loose earth. You can only communicate via
Each halving of your Tunneling Move Ultrasonic Speech: 0 points.
15 points
gives +1 on this roll. You can switch between regular
You have a profound religious speech and Ultrasonic Speech at will:
faith that protects you from “evil” Ultrahearing 31 10 points.
supernatural beings such as demons 0 or 5 points
and vampires. To enjoy this protec- Ultravision 31
tion, you must actively assert your You can hear sounds in the fre- 0 or 10 points
faith by wielding a physical symbol quencies above the normal range of
revered by your religion (e.g., crucifix, human hearing (20 kHz). This allows You can see ultraviolet light (UV).
Torah, or Koran), chanting, dancing, you to hear dog whistles, sonar, Solar UV is present outdoors during
or whatever else is appropriate to motion detectors, etc. You can detect the day, even under cloud cover, but is
your beliefs. If you wish to use this active sonar at twice its effective range. stopped by window glass or any solid
ability in combat – to repel zombies, Cost depends on your capabilities: barrier (earth, stone, etc.). Fluorescent
for instance – then you must choose You can hear only high-frequency lamps also emit UV. Provided UV is
the Concentrate maneuver each turn, sounds: 0 points. present, you can make out more col-
and can do nothing else. You can hear high-frequency ors than those with normal vision.
For as long as you assert your faith, sounds and other sounds: 5 points. This helps you discern outlines; spot
no malign supernatural entity (GM’s trace quantities of dust, dyes, etc.; and
judgment as to what this covers) may This advantage is included in identify minerals and plants. You get
approach within one yard of you. If Ultrasonic Speech, below; if you have +2 to all Vision rolls made in the pres-
one is forced into this radius, it must Ultrasonic Speech, you cannot take ence of UV, as well as to all Forensics,
leave by the most direct route possi- this as well (but don’t need to). Observation, and Search rolls to spot
ble, as if it suffered from Dread clues or hidden objects.
(p. 132). If it cannot leave without
coming closer, it must make a Will
roll. On a success, it may run past you
to escape, pushing you aside if neces-
sary (but using only the minimum
force required to escape). On a failure,
the monster is cowed. It must cower,
helplessly, and cannot move, defend
itself, or take any other action.
To keep True Faith, you must
behave in a manner consistent with
your religion. You will nearly always
have to take and adhere to one or more
of the traits listed under Self-Imposed
Mental Disadvantages (p. 121). In
effect, True Faith comes with a built-in
Pact limitation (p. 113); do not apply
this modifier again. You do not have to
be kind, loving, or law-abiding, howev-
er. A violent bigot or religious terrorist
can be just as sincere in his religious
devotion as a saintly ascetic.
Tunneling 31
30 points + 5 points per point
of Tunneling Move
You can bore through earth and Ultrasonic Speech 31 At night, a small amount of UV
stone, spewing rubble behind you. The reaches the ground from the stars.
passage you dig is wide enough for you 0 or 10 points This doesn’t let you see in the dark,
to walk through. You move through You can converse in the ultrasonic but it does let you ignore -2 in dark-
stone at half normal Tunneling Move. range. This advantage includes ness penalties (cumulative with Night
The GM may wish to assess a chance Ultrahearing, above. Note that many Vision). UV penetrates farther under-
that your tunnel collapses behind you. creatures find it intensely annoying or water than visible light. This lets you
Roll each minute vs. the highest of even painful to be within earshot of halve all vision penalties underwater
Engineer (Mining), Prospecting-3, and sustained ultrasonic pitches! Cost (but in total darkness, you are as blind
IQ-4 to dig a stable tunnel. This can be depends on your capabilities: as anyone else).
modified upward for hard rock and Cost depends on your capabilities:


94 ADVANTAGES

You can only see UV, and are blind no special resistance to poison, will coalesce in a location of the GM’s
indoors, underground, or anywhere though; for that, buy Resistant (p. 80). choosing. 150 points.
else there is no UV, even when there One side benefit of this trait is that you
are normal light sources present: 0 can quickly and safely dispose of any With the GM’s permission, if you
points. nontoxic, organic evidence by eating it! have Unkillable 2 or 3 and are taken
You can see both visible light and to -10¥HP, you can trade in Unkillable
UV: 10 points. Unkillable 31 and use the points to buy a spirit or
undead racial template (if such things
50 to 150 points
Unaging 31 You cannot be killed! You are sub- exist in the setting), becoming a ghost,
15 points ject to all the other effects of injury. revenant, etc. once you heal all your
HP.
You never grow old naturally and You feel pain, your wounds slow you, By default, you age normally, and
cannot be aged unnaturally. Your age and you can be stunned or knocked will eventually die of old age. To be
is fixed at any point you choose and out. You lose the use of any limb that truly immortal, combine Unkillable
will never change. You never have to receives a crippling wound, and you with Unaging (above) – and possibly
make aging rolls. might even lose the limb itself. You one or more of Doesn’t Breathe (p.49),
Special Enhancements can even lose attribute levels, advan- Injury Tolerance (p. 60), Regeneration
Age Control: You can “age” in either tages, etc. to disease, injury, or poison. (p. 80), and Resistant (p. 80).
direction at will, at up to 10 times the However, you will only die if your Special Limitations
normal rate. +20%. body is physically destroyed – and Achilles’ Heel: Damage from one
sometimes not even then.
Unfazeable 2 This advantage comes in three particular source (possibly one to
which you have a Vulnerability, p. 161)
15 points levels: can kill you normally. You must make
Nothing surprises you – at least, Unkillable 1: Injury affects you nor- normal HT rolls to survive at -HP and
nothing that’s not obviously a threat. mally, but you need never make a HT below, and die automatically if this
The world is full of strange things, and roll to stay alive. You can survive (and damage takes you below -5¥HP. The
as long as they don’t bother you, you even function, if you remain con- limitation value depends on the rarity
don’t bother them. scious) down to -10¥HP, at which of the attack, as defined under Limited
You are exempt from Fright point your body is physically Defenses (p. 46): -10% if “Rare,” -30% if
Checks, and reaction modifiers rarely destroyed and you die. As long as you “Occasional,” or -50% if “Common” or
affect you either way. You treat are alive, you heal at your usual rate – “Very Common.”
strangers with distant courtesy, no typically 1 HP/day, modified for any Hindrance: A specific substance
matter how strange they are, as long as Regeneration (p. 80) you may have. (e.g., silver or wood) prevents healing
they’re well-behaved. You have the Crippled limbs do heal, but severed – whether by natural means or
normal reaction penalty toward any- limbs are gone for good unless you Regeneration – for as long as it
one who does something rude or have Regrowth (p. 80). 50 points. remains in your body. Once you pass
rowdy, but you remain civil even if Unkillable 2: As Unkillable 1, but out from your injuries, you stay dor-
forced to violence. Intimidation you do not die at -10¥HP. Once you mant until this substance is removed.
(p. 202) just does not work on you. reach -10¥HP, you are reduced to an The limitation value depends on the
You are not emotionless – you just indestructible skeleton and automati- rarity of the substance: -5% if
never display strong feelings. The cally fall unconscious. You sustain no “Rare,” -15% if “Occasional,” or -25%
stereotypical aged kung fu master or further damage from any attack. Once if “Common.”
English butler has this trait. the damage stops, you heal normally – Reincarnation: This is only avail-
You must roleplay this advantage even if you’ve been hacked to pieces – able for Unkillable 2 or 3. When
fully, or the GM can declare that it has and any severed body parts will grow reduced to -10¥HP, you recover at
been lost. In a campaign where Fright back. You regain consciousness once your usual rate, but you wake up in an
Checks are an hourly occurrence, the you have positive HP. Note that your entirely new body with new abilities.
GM can charge 20 points – or more! – enemies can imprison your remains The GM creates the new form (or may
or disallow Unfazeable altogether. while you are unconscious, or even allow you to do so), but you always
This advantage is incompatible with expose them to a source of continuous retain the Unkillable advantage. -20%.
all Phobias. damage (fire is a common choice) to Trigger: This is only available for
prevent you from healing. 100 points. Unkillable 2 or 3. Once reduced
Universal Digestion 31 Unkillable 3: As Unkillable 2, except to -10¥HP, you require some substance
5 points that at -10¥HP, you become a ghost, (such as human blood) or condition
You have remarkably adaptable an energy pattern, or some other (such as a ritual) before you will start
digestive processes that let you derive incorporeal form that cannot be con- to heal. Until then, you will remain
nutrition from any nontoxic animal or tained or damaged through normal dormant. The limitation value depends
plant protein, no matter how alien or means. At this stage, you fall uncon- on the rarity of the trigger: -25% if
fantastic. This enables you to subsist scious and heal normally. Once you “Rare,” -15% if “Occasional,” or -5% if
on things that would normally be are at full HP, your fully intact body “Common” or “Very Common.”
harmless but non-nutritious. You have


ADVANTAGES 95

Unusual Background 2 (p. 93), but none of these traits are a perfectly still, dark chamber, you
required. would have only a vague notion of the
Variable
size of the area, but you would be able
This is a “catch-all” trait that the Vampiric Bite 31 to sense a barrier before you ran into
GM can use to adjust the point total 30 points + 5 points it, and could find openings by sensing
of any character with special abilities the flow of air or water.
that are not widely available in the per extra HP drained To use Vibration Sense, make a
game world. “Special abilities” might You can bite people and drain their Sense roll. Consult the Size and
mean cinematic traits, magic spells, life force, healing your own wounds in Speed/Range Table (p. 550) and apply
exotic advantages (for a human), the process. You can only feed if your separate bonuses for the target’s size
supernatural advantages (for any- victim is helpless (pinned, stunned, and speed, and a penalty for the range
one), or almost anything else – it unconscious, etc.), grappled, or will- to the target. Wind (in air) or swift
depends on the setting. Players are ing. If he is wearing armor, your biting currents (in water) will generate
free to suggest Unusual Backgrounds damage must penetrate its DR. Once “noise” that interferes with your sense.
to the GM, but the GM decides you’ve bitten through your victim’s Find the speed of the wind or current
whether a proposed Unusual DR, you can drain 1 HP per second on the table and assess the relevant
Background is acceptable, and if so, from him. For every 3 HP stolen, you speed penalty.
what its cost and benefits are. heal 1 HP or 1 FP (your choice). You A successful roll reveals the rough
cannot raise your HP or FP above nor-
Example 1: “Raised by wizards” to mal this way. size, location, speed, and direction of
justify access to magic spells might be The basic Vampiric Bite described movement of the target. It does not
a 0-point special effect in a fantasy above costs 30 points. You may buy provide any information about the
world where magic is common, a 10- increased HP drain for 5 points per object’s shape, color, etc. Once you
point Unusual Background in a con- additional HP drained per second; for have detected something, you may tar-
spiracy campaign where magic is instance, to drain 10 HP per second, get it with an attack. The modifiers
known but kept secret, and a 50-point pay 75 points. that applied to your Sense roll also
Unusual Background – or simply for- Vampiric Bite also lets you bite in apply to your attack roll, but can never
bidden – in a horror game where a PC combat without feeding. Treat this as give you a bonus to hit.
who wields supernatural power would Teeth (Sharp Teeth) or Teeth (Sharp Note that if you are outside the ele-
reduce the suspense. Beak) (p. 91) – your choice. You do ment (air or water) where your ability
Example 2: “Daughter of the God not need to purchase that advantage functions, or if you are wearing a
of Magic” to justify the Unkillable separately. sealed suit, this ability does not work
advantage would be an Unusual at all!
Background in any setting, and would Versatile 2 Special Enhancements
be worth as much as the advantage 5 points Universal: Your Vibration Sense
itself – 50 points or more – if the GM works both in the air and in the water.
allowed it at all. You are extremely imaginative. You +50%.
get a +1 bonus on any task that
Not every unusual character con- requires creativity or invention,
cept merits an Unusual Background. including most rolls against Artist Visualization 25
The GM should only charge points skill, all Engineer rolls for new inven- 10 points
when the character enjoys a tangible tions, and all skill rolls made to use the You can improve your chances at a
benefit. For instance, it would be Gadgeteer advantage. task by visualizing yourself successful-
unusual for a human to be raised by ly performing it. The closer your men-
wolves, but unless this gave him spe- Very Fit tal picture is to the actual circum-
cial capabilities (such as Speak with see Fit, p. 55 stances, the greater the bonus. The
Animals), it would be background visualization must be detailed and
color, worth 0 points. Very Rapid Healing must involve a clear and specific
action. This makes it useless in com-
Vacuum Support 31 see Rapid Healing, p. 79 bat, where the situation changes faster
5 points Vibration Sense 31 than you can visualize it.
You are immune to deleterious 10 points To use this talent, you must con-
effects associated with vacuum and centrate for one minute. You, the play-
decompression (see Vacuum, p. 437). You can detect the location and er, must describe the scene you visual-
This advantage does not give you an size of objects by sensing vibrations ize (which can include senses other
air supply; buy Doesn’t Breathe (p. 49) with your skin, whiskers, or antennae. than sight) and the results you hope to
for that. You must specify whether this ability achieve. Then make an IQ roll.
Those with Vacuum Support usu- works in the air or in the water. You get a +1 bonus to the action
ally have the Sealed advantage (p. 82), Vibration Sense is not a substitute you visualized for every point by
and often have Radiation Tolerance for vision. You can locate an opponent which you succeed – if the circum-
(p. 79) and Temperature Tolerance in the dark, but you cannot detect stances correspond almost exactly to
details (e.g., whether he is armed). In the visualization. If they are not quite



96 ADVANTAGES

the same, which will almost always be true,
halve the bonus (minimum +1). And if
something is clearly different, divide the
bonus by 3 (no minimum). The GM can
assess a further bonus of up to +2, or a
penalty of any size, for a good or bad
description!
Voice 3
10 points
You have a naturally clear, reso-
nant, and attractive voice. This gives
you +2 with the following skills:
Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Mimicry, Per -
formance, Politics, Public Speaking,
Sex Appeal, and Singing. You also
get +2 on any reaction roll made by
someone who can hear your voice.
Walk on Air 31
20 points
Air, smoke, and other gases are
like solid ground beneath your feet,
allowing you to walk up and down
“invisible stairs” at your ground
Move. This won’t work in a vacu-
um – there has to be some kind of
air present. If you get knocked
down or slip, you fall! You may
attempt one DX roll per second of
falling. If you succeed, you stop in
thin air, unharmed. Otherwise,
you hit the ground for normal
falling damage (see Falling,
p. 431).

Walk on Liquid 31
15 points
You can walk on the surface of
any liquid as if it were solid ground.
You move at your usual ground
Move. This doesn’t protect you
from any damage that you would
take from coming into contact with
the liquid, however. You can’t
traverse volcanic lava or boiling acid
without taking damage!

Warp 25
100 points
You have the ability to teleport, travel-
ing from point to point without moving
through the intervening space. To do so, you
must be able to see your destination with your
own eyes, or view it remotely (via closed-
circuit TV, someone else’s eyes using Mind
Reading with the Sensory enhancement, etc.), or
visualize it clearly (which is only possible if you
have visited it previously in person).




ADVANTAGES 97

You can carry up to Basic Lift before you roll, and you lose the FP your carrying capacity is high enough,
when you travel, plus any Payload whether you succeed or fail. You never you may transport one person with
(p. 74). To carry more, or to bring have to spend FP, but it is usually a you. Light encumbrance is +10%;
along other people, take the Extra good idea if you must travel far or Medium, +20%; Heavy, +30%; Extra-
Carrying Capacity enhancement without much preparation. Heavy, +50%.
(below).
Make an IQ roll to activate your
ability, modified as follows:

Distance: Distance penalties appear
on the table below. If actual distance Wild Talent: You can simply do things without
falls between two values, use the
higher. knowing how. It does apply to skills that
normally have no default, provided you meet any
Distance Penalty
10 yards 0 advantage requirements. It has no effect on skills
20 yards -1 you already know.
100 yards -2
500 yards -3
2 miles -4
10 miles -5
100 miles -6
1,000 miles -7
On a success, you appear at your Reliable: Your power is stable and
Add an additional -1 for each 10¥ target destination. On a failure, you go predictable. Each level of this
increase in distance.
nowhere and strain your power: you enhancement gives +1 to the IQ roll to
Preparation Time: The amount of are at -5 to use it again in the next 10 use this ability, allowing you to tele-
time taken to prepare for the teleport minutes. On a critical failure, you port with little preparation (e.g., in
affects the IQ roll, as follows: arrive at the wrong destination. This combat) or over long distances with-
can be anywhere the GM wishes! It out spending as many FP to improve
Preparation Time IQ Modifier need not be dangerous, but it should your odds. +5% per +1, to a maximum
None -10 seriously inconvenience you. In addi- of +10.
1 second -5 tion, your power temporarily “burns Warp Jump: This enhancement is
2 seconds -4 out” and will not function again for 1d only available if you have the Jumper
4 seconds -3 hours. advantage (p. 64). You must apply it to
8 seconds -2 You can use Warp to evade attacks both Jumper and Warp. If you are
15 seconds -1 in combat. Once per turn, you may both a time- and world-jumper, and
30 seconds 0 teleport to any location you can see wish to use Warp with both abilities,
1 minute +1 within 10 yards, instantly. This is con- buy this enhancement twice. When
2 minutes +2 sidered a dodge. Of course, the IQ roll you jump, you can simultaneously use
4 minutes +3 will be at -10 for instant use, so you Warp to appear anywhere at your des-
8 minutes +4 might want to spend FP to improve tination. Two die rolls are necessary –
15 minutes +5 your odds! one per ability – and it is possible for
30 minutes +6 You can improve this ability with one to succeed while the other fails, or
1 hour +7 practice, spending points to add for both to fail. +10% per linked
2 hours +8 enhancements or remove limitations. Jumper advantage.
4 hours +9 You cannot take Reduced Fatigue
8 hours +10 Cost or Reduced Time (p. 108); Special Limitations
Hyperjump: You physically move
This table is not open-ended; +10 is instead, take Reliable (below) so that through “hyperspace” or “jump space”
the maximum possible bonus. you will need less time or fewer FP to to journey between destinations. This
Removal: If you have a “second- teleport reliably. is not true, instantaneous teleporta-
hand” view of the destination, you are Special Enhancements tion; you have an effective speed,
at -2 per level of removal. For instance, Blind: You can teleport to a specif- which means the trip takes time. On
seeing it on TV or through someone ic set of coordinates (distance and long trips, you will need to address
else’s eyes would give -2, while seeing direction) without seeing or having life-support needs! In addition, you
it on a television set that you are view- visited the destination. This gives you cannot activate Hyperjump in atmos-
ing through someone else’s eyes would an extra -5 to your IQ roll! You must phere and you cannot travel distances
give -4. There is an additional -2 to pay two FP per +1 bonus when using shorter than one light-second (186,000
teleport to a place you have visited but this enhancement. +50%. miles, -10 to IQ). This effectively limits
cannot see. Extra Carrying Capacity: You can you to space travel. There is one bene-
Fatigue Points: Apply a bonus of +1 carry more than your Basic Lift. If fit to Hyperjump: if you possess
per FP spent. You must declare this


98 ADVANTAGES